Chromatography Forum

Greetings,

We injected four extraction aliquots of a highly contaminated polymeric solid sample on our Envirosep GPC Column. These aliquots were at the recommended limit for loading, and contained very high levels of phthalates in addition to acetone-methylene chloride soluble polymers.

Since this, we have lost recovery for certain 8270 semi-volatiles, nitrophenols and chlorinated phenols. In some cases the recovery has dropped to zero.

It appears we have contaminated our Envirosep column.

Anyone have any similar experience? Anyone know a good cleaning procedure for this polystyrene divinylbenzene GPC column? This is a very pricey column, and it would be nice if we could get it working again.

Thanks,

Evan L. Cooper, Ph.D.
Analytical Laboratory Services, Inc.
Middletown, PA

Have you tried a backwash at elevated temperature?

Mark,

We are backflushing now, but I have no way to elevate the temperature of this semi-prep column, we run it at ambient conditions.

Do you think I could add a more aggressive/polar solvent like acetone to the backflush?

Evan

These columns shrink and swell depending on the eluent composition. Don't change that until you are sure you have exhausted gentler options.

You can try running the eluent line through a warm water bath to heat the column.