Optimizing the performance of your D3606 column set
30 Jan 2014My previous post "Simple tips to help your D3606 column set last longer" provided several recommendations for maximizing the lifetime of this column set. In this post, I will provide suggestions to help you reproduce the results of the QA test chromatogram which was included with your column set.
D3606 Column Sets purchased in July 2021 and later (cat.# 83606A-)
Thoroughly review the included instruction sheet for this column set.
Verify the temperature of your GC oven is 135°C by using an accurate thermometer or digital thermocouple thermometer. Do not simply rely on the instrument temperature display.
Verify the carrier gas flow rate (of helium or nitrogen) is 25mL/min by using a high quality digital flow meter. Review the instruction sheet for approximate pressure information.
Carefully follow the instructions listed in ASTM D3606 for setting the correct back-flush time for your particular instrument (approximately 4.3 minutes).
Make sure columns are correctly installed (oriented) to your inlet and valve (see our instruction sheet for details).
Using a high quality electronic leak detector, thoroughly check each connection to verify it is leak-free.
| Peaks | tR (min) | Conc. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ethanol | 7.21 | <10% |
| 2. | Benzene | 8.40 | <5% |
| 3. | 2-Butanol (IS) | 9.57 | 4% |
| 4. | Toluene | 12.22 | <20% |
| Column | D3606 application column (2 column set). Column 1: Sulfinert tubing, 6 ft (1.8 m), 2.00 mm ID, 0.125 in OD; Rt-D3606-1 proprietary packing material. Column 2: Sulfinert tubing, 15.5 ft (4.7 m), 2.00 mm ID, 0.125 in OD; Rt-D3606-2 proprietary packing material (cat.# 83606A-800) |
|---|---|
| Standard/Sample | Gasoline (87 octane with ethanol) spiked with internal standard (IS) |
| Conc.: | Neat |
| Injection | |
| Inj. Vol.: | 1.5 µL packed not on-column |
| Liner: | Topaz 2.0 mm ID straight inlet liner (cat.# 23313) |
| Inj. Temp.: | 200 °C |
| Oven | |
| Oven Temp.: | 135 °C (hold 15 min) |
| Carrier Gas | He, constant flow |
| Flow Rate: | 25 mL/min @ 135 °C |
| Detector | TCD @ 200 °C |
|---|---|
| Instrument | Agilent/HP6890 GC |
| Notes | Valve box temperature: 150 °C Backflush (valve) times for this column set are: • Valve on at ~4.3.0 minutes • Valve off at 12.0 minutes Note that backflush times must be determined for each GC system. To determine the backflush time, analyze ASTM backflush standard (cat. # 30671) following the procedure described in the instruction sheet for the D3606 column set. Then, multiply the result by the algorithm 2.33. |
D3606 Column Sets purchased before July 2021 (cat.# 83606-).
Thoroughly review the included instruction sheet for this column set.
Verify the temperature of your GC oven is 135°C by using an accurate thermometer or digital thermocouple thermometer. Do not simply rely on the instrument temperature display.
Verify the carrier gas flow rate (of helium or nitrogen) is 20mL/min by using a high quality digital flow meter. Head pressure will be approximately 65psi.
Carefully follow the instructions listed in ASTM D3606 for setting the correct back-flush time for your particular instrument (approximately 2.4 minutes).
Make sure columns are correctly installed (oriented) to your inlet and valve (see our instruction sheet for details).
Using a high quality electronic leak detector, thoroughly check each connection to verify it is leak-free.
I hope you have found this information helpful. If you have any questions, please email us at technical service.