By Rene De Boer on Wednesday, May 7, 2003 - 07:30 am:
While doing preperative work with a Xterra RP HPLC preperative column (30mm dia x 150 mm long )we used accidentally dichloromethane instead of methanol. The consequence was no separation any more of the mixture(s) we wanted to analyse.
Is it possible to regenerate or recuperate this column? Is the column material damaged or not? Can anyone give us some methods to regenerate this column. Is there a method published somewhere?
Since this accident can have quite expensive consequences it is worthwhile to think about a regeneration of the material before bying a new one.
By Chris Pohl on Wednesday, May 7, 2003 - 11:19 am:
You should be able to regenerate the column easily if you wash first with a nonaqueous polar solvent like 100% acetonitrile or 100% methanol prior switching back to your eluent.
By Gerhard Kratz on Thursday, May 8, 2003 - 03:28 am:
Dear Rene, the recommended wash steps you should follow. If you wash with 20 times (column volumes)100% acetonitrile your column should be free of dichlormethane. Please make sure that you also wash your complete system, injection valve, all tubings etc. at first, but disconnect the column first. Good luck. Gerhard
By ananda on Thursday, May 8, 2003 - 11:00 am:
There was an article written by Ronald E. Majors appeared on LCGC Volume 21 # 1 January 2003. about "cleaning and Regeneration of RP-HPLC coulmns'. That will give you a 100% detailed and useful information about the topic even for your future reference.
He recommends the same thing as Chris and Gerhard did. However, if you are really keen, first wash with 100% Isopropanol before you wash with 100% ACN due to incomplete miscibility of Me2Cl2 in aqueous polar solvents. Good Luck!
Ananda S.
By Anonymous on Thursday, May 8, 2003 - 03:12 pm:
Methylene chloride is completely miscible with acetonitrile. No need to use a high viscosity solvent.