{"id":76439,"date":"2013-12-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-12-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/?p=76439"},"modified":"2026-01-28T15:56:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T15:56:29","slug":"molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/blog-it\/gnbl5515\/molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints","title":{"rendered":"Molecular Sieve 5A &#038; 13X packed columns &#8211; Installation \/ Conditioning \/ Helpful Hints"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image76439_c58448-96 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image76439_c58448-96 size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-78216\" title=\"-\" srcset=\"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints-01.jpg 200w, https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints-01-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the steps below will ensure that your Molecular Sieve packed column is ready to use just several hours after installation.\u00a0 You should only use\u00a0<strong><em>dry (moisture-free) &amp;\u00a0hydrocarbon-free\u00a0high-purity Nitrogen<\/em><\/strong> as the carrier gas to condition (and\/or dry) your column.\u00a0 If using a different carrier gas than nitrogen, temporarily switch out gas supplies when conditioning or drying columns.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.&nbsp; Cool all heated zones and then turn off all GC gases.&nbsp; Please allow the current packed column (if one is installed) to depressurize so that its removal from the GC (more specifically, the inlet) doesn\u2019t cause a pressure surge which can expel packing from the column (see&nbsp;<strong>Helpful Hints<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>C<\/strong>&nbsp;below for additional information).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2.&nbsp; All molecular sieve columns are fully activated and end capped to prevent moisture diffusion.&nbsp; Remove the column end caps (and silicone ferrule, if present) and attach the appropriate nut &amp; ferrule to the inlet side of the column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Install the new column into the injection port.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong><em>Do not<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;connect to the detector at this time.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong><em>Do not<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;turn on any heated zones.&nbsp; &nbsp;<strong><em>Slowly<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong>increase the head-pressure just until carrier gas flow starts exiting from the column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.&nbsp; Attach an electronic flow meter (or soap-bubble flow meter) to the outlet of the column and once again begin&nbsp;<strong><em>slowly<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;increasing the head-pressure.&nbsp;&nbsp; When the desired column flow rate has been obtained*, continue to monitor the exiting carrier gas flow rate for five minutes to make sure it is stable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4.&nbsp; Remove the flow meter and purge the column for an additional 10 minutes.&nbsp; Set the GC oven temperature to 110\u00b0C and program the oven to ramp at 5\u00b0C\/min to 300\u00b0C.&nbsp; Heat the GC injection port (if applicable) to the desired temperature, but&nbsp;<strong><em>do not<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;expose the column to higher temperatures than the maximum temperature of the column (350\u00b0C).&nbsp; Begin the GC oven program ramp.&nbsp; When 300\u00b0C is reached, hold it at this temperature for 3 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5.&nbsp; Cool the GC oven (<strong><em>Do not<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;turn off the carrier gas unless you need to switch out the nitrogen for another carrier gas; if you do, see Steps #1-3 above).&nbsp; Install the column into the detector and heat the detector to the desired temperature, but&nbsp;<strong><em>do not<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;expose the column to higher temperatures than the maximum temperature of the column (350\u00b0C).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6.&nbsp; Your column should be ready to use.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image76439_382244-ab .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image76439_382244-ab size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-78210\" title=\"-\" srcset=\"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints-02.jpg 200w, https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/blog-molecular-sieve-5a-13x-packed-columns-installation-conditioning-helpful-hints-02-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Helpful hints:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A.&nbsp; If you notice any degradation with the chromatography, you may need to \u201cdry\u201d the column.&nbsp; To do so, use hydrocarbon-free &amp; moisture-free&nbsp;nitrogen&nbsp;as the carrier gas.&nbsp; After purging the column for 10 minutes using the flow rates listed below, increase the GC oven temperature to 300\u00b0C and hold for 3 hours.&nbsp; This should remove all traces of water vapor (and carbon dioxide).&nbsp;&nbsp; (Additional note:&nbsp;&nbsp; With a dry 5A or 13X column, methane (CH4) elutes before carbon monoxide (CO).&nbsp; If CO elutes with methane, or before methane, your column needs to be dried).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If drying the column doesn\u2019t improve chromatography, you may need to \u201cregenerate\/reactivate\u201d the column (a&nbsp;tailing carbon monoxide peak&nbsp;is a common indicator of surface activity; another&nbsp;may be&nbsp;a&nbsp;decrease in&nbsp;response for the oxygen peak**).&nbsp; To do so, use hydrocarbon-free &amp; moisture-free&nbsp;compressed air&nbsp;as the carrier gas.&nbsp; After purging the column for 10 minutes using the flow rates listed below, increase the GC oven temperature to 300C and hold for 3 hours.&nbsp; This should reactivate the surface of the zeolite molecular sieve packing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>** If you experience a decrease in response for the oxygen peak, but the carbon monoxide peak does not tail, the&nbsp;problem may be with the pre-column (stripper column), especially if this pre-column is a porous polymer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>B.&nbsp; Always use high quality&nbsp;<strong>gas traps<\/strong>&nbsp;on your carrier gas line.&nbsp; As mentioned earlier, molecular sieve packings like to absorb everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C.&nbsp; Never perform any GC maintenance (such as replacing the septum or liner) or remove a packed\/micropacked column from a GC, without having the carrier gas turned off and allowing the column\/instrument to depressurize.&nbsp; Otherwise the packed column\u2019s bed may collapse or particles may be expelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D.&nbsp; If the column is not going to be used for several days, all the instrument\u2019s heated zones should be cooled and the carrier gas turned off.&nbsp; The column should be removed and the ends should be capped to keep air\/moisture out of the column.&nbsp; If the column is going to be used the following day, do not cool instrument\u2019s heated zones, leave the carrier gas on, and set the GC oven temperature to 150\u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E.&nbsp; When using a high sensitivity detector like a HID, DID, FID, etc. a micropacked column (0.53mmID through 1.0mmID) should work well.&nbsp; However, when using a low sensitivity detector like a TCD, consider using a 2.0mmID (1\/8\u201dOD) packed column (for capacity).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>F.&nbsp; Molecular Sieve columns are extremely retentive.&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>For gas analysis<\/em>, compounds larger than (and including)&nbsp;C2+ (ethane), or compounds with a boiling point greater than 50\u00b0C, should not be injected onto these columns.&nbsp; If you suspect your samples may contain \u201cheavies\u201d, consider using a system which incorporates a pre-column and valve switching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>G.&nbsp; If you need help installing a column, please&nbsp;review the FAQs.&nbsp; If you still need help, contact&nbsp;technical service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* Common conditioning carrier gas flow rates for packed\/micropacked columns:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>0.53mmID (0.74mmOD) = 5mL\/min<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>0.75mmID (0.95mmOD) = 7.5mL\/min<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1.0mmID (1\/16\u201dOD) = 10mL\/min<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2.0mmID (1\/8\u201d OD) = 20mL\/min.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PLEASE READ<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Safety Note:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong> If using hydrogen as the carrier gas, please safely vent the&nbsp;hydrogen during the conditioning process.&nbsp; Do&nbsp;not&nbsp;vent the gas into a confined space, like the GC oven.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Molecular Sieve 5A &amp; 13X Columns (packed) Molecular Sieve 5A &amp; 13X (micropacked) Things to Consider Before Ordering a Packed Column . Following the steps below will ensure that your Molecular Sieve packed column is ready to use just several&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[793],"tags":[],"industries-application":[],"post-badge":[],"resource-type":[],"product-library":[],"resource-technique":[],"hf_cat_post":[623],"ppma_author":[582],"class_list":["post-76439","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog-it"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":793,"label":"Blog"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"Audrey Crater","author_link":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/author\/audrey-craterrestek-com\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":793,"name":"Blog","slug":"blog-it","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":793,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":442,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":793,"category_count":442,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Blog","category_nicename":"blog-it","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"authors":[{"term_id":582,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"alan-sensue","display_name":"Alan Sensue","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76439","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76439"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85389,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76439\/revisions\/85389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"industries-application","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industries-application?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"post-badge","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-badge?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"product-library","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-library?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"resource-technique","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-technique?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"hf_cat_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hf_cat_post?post=76439"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discover.restek.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=76439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}