At the beginning of the gas chromatography packed columns was the solely available column type. Today fused silica columns are dominating in the GC’s of the laboratories. In comparison to packed columns modern capillary columns are longer and have a smaller inner diameter and therefore higher separation efficiency. With regard to efficiency capillary columns are nowadays the column type of choice.
The analytics-shop.com offers the appropriate individual column for each application. Our inquiry form will help you with the configuration. For further questions please contact us via E-Mail or phone.
Nevertheless, there are plenty applications where separation efficiency is not the critical point. In these cases packed columns are still appreciated and show interesting qualities. The most obvious characteristic you will recognize at once: fused silica columns are flexible and easy to handle in the lab they don’t reach the chemical stability of a packed stainless steel column. At harsh conditions that you find for example at production sites or in mobile systems the stability of packed columns often is helpful and necessary. Furthermore packed columns have a significant higher sample capacity. To some extend the lower separation efficiency can be compensated by the very large assortment of stationary phases. They give the opportunity to choose the right selectivity of the phase. Especially in the field of gas analysis packed columns are still essential.
If stainless steel surfaces are not applicable specially coated columns are available. These INNOSteel columns have a high-purity silica surface and therefore characteristics similar to glass but combined with the mechanical stability and flexibility of stainless steel.
Altmann-Analytik offers a large assortment of packed columns. You can select from several column materials (stainless steel, INNOSteel), different dimensions (e. g. inner diameter from 1 to 5.3 mm) and a variety of packing materials. Beside separation phases based on polymers (see table 2) a lot of stationary phases can prepared regarding customer requirements. On customer’s option the packed column can be pre-conditioned in carrier gas stream so that it is prepared for direct use in the system.
Altmann Analytik offers the appropriate individual column for each application. Our inquiry form will help you with the configuration. For further questions please contact us via E-Mail or phone.
Feature | Packed Column | Capillary Column |
separation efficiency | - | + |
sample capacity | + | - |
available phase selectivity | + | - |
column bleeding | - | + |
max. temperature | - | + |
Table 1: Comparison of some features of packed and capillary columns
Type | Name | USP-Code |
Styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer having a nominal surface area of less than 50 m² per g and an average pore diameter of 0.3 to 0.4 μm. |
Chromosorb 101 | S2 |
Copolymer of ethylvinylbenzene and divinylbenzene having a nominal surface area of 500 to 600 m² per g and an average pore diameter of 0.0075 μm. |
HayeSep Q Porapak Q |
S3 |
Styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer with aromatic –O and – N groups, having a nominal surface area of 400 to 600 m² per g and an average pore diameter of 0.0076 μm. |
HayeSep P Porapak R |
S4 |
Styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer having a nominal surface area of 250 to 350 m² per g and an average pore diameter of 0.0091 μm. |
HayeSep P Porapak P Chromosorb 102 |
S6 |
Copolymer of 4-vinyl-pyridine and styrene-divinylbenzene. | HayeSep S Porapak S |
S8 |
A porous polymer based on 2,6-diphenyl-p-phenylene oxide. | Tenax TA | S9 |
Table 2: Some polymer based packing materials for packed columns