Custom Packed GC Columns

Who Uses Packed Columns?

Packed GC columns are rugged and high capacity columns typically used by chemists working with large volumes of contaminated material or small, permanent gasses. You will find Packed GC Columns being used  in the following industries.

  • Petrochemical
  • Environmental
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Industrial Gas Manufacturers
  • Food Safety
  • Educational Labs 
  • Legacy Methods

How Do I Order a Custom Packed GC Column?

Image of RK80476820 - Packed Column, Molesieve 13X 80/100 6 2mm ID, Stainless, Varian 3700, Vista Series, FID,

If you already know what you want to separate or analyse, then here are the steps you can take to request your custom packed GC Column.

Ordering a custom packed column from Chromatographic Specialties.

Step 1. Select Your Column Material

  • Stainless Steel  (304 and 316)
  • Sulfinert Stainless Steel
  • Nickle
  • Copper
  • Aluminum
  • PTFE /TEF (polytetrafluoroethylene)
  • FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene)
  • Borosilicate glass 
  • Silanized borosilicate glass

Column Sizes

  • 1/8”, 3/8”, ¼”, larger ODs available by special order.
  • ASTM G93, Chromatography ready tubing and fittings (Brass or Stainless Steel).
  • GC Manufacturers Column Configuration  Column Configuration

Step 2. Select Your Solid Support

Below is a sample of some common Stationary Phases and Packing Materials. We have roughly 400 available.
View the PDF to see our complete list. Solid Supports .

  • Porapak™ (Q,R,S,T,Q-S)
    Porapak™ porous polymers produce exceptional separations for a wide variety of organic compounds.
    Packings are cross-linked without a stationary phase coating.
    Sharp, symmetrical peaks and low retention volumes for water, alcohols, glycols, free fatty acids and more!

  • Chromosorb® Century Series (101,102,103,105,106,107,108)
    Chromosorb porous polymers are composed of polyaromatic-type cross-linked resin.
    Uniform, rigid structure.
    Infusible and insoluble in most solvents.
    Especially effective in separating a wide variety of gases, alcohols, glycols, amines, free acids and more!

  • HayeSep® (A,D,N,Q,R,S,T)
    HayeSep is thoroughly cleaned and preconditioned for 12 hours under oxygen-free nitrogen before packaging to ensure consistency, reproducibility with no shrinkage and minimal bleed.
    Applications include solvents, light hydrocarbons, glycols and more!

  • Adsorbants/Dessicants

    Tenax®-TA, Tenax®-GR

    Tenax adsorbent can withstand high temperature and are particularly useful for trapping, preconcentrating and analyzing VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as environmental pollutants, industrial chemicals, and food and flavour compounds.

    Molecular Sieve 4A, 5A, 13X
    Useful for carrier gas purification (removal of H2O, CO2) and separation of light gases (O2, N2,CH4, CO).

Step 3. Select Your Mesh Size

Mesh Size 

When selecting your mesh size take into consideration the length of your column, the inner diameter of your column and the type of GC instrument you are running, and whether you are running a simple or more difficult separation. 

Please remember we are here to help. 

Step 4. Select Your Liquid Phase

We currently have 364 common phases in stock.

Listed are some of the common Stationary Liquid Phases. View the PDF to see our complete list. Liquid Phases

  • Apiezon L 
  • Carbowax™ (400, 550, 1000, 1500 20M)
  • Dexsil (300 GC, 400 GC)
  • Diethylene glycol succinate
  • Ethylene glycol succinate
  • FFAP
  • Polyethylene glycol adipate
  • Polyethylene glycol succinate
  • Propylene glycol
  • Silar (5CP, 9CP,10C)
  • Silicone fluid Dow 200, 500 cstks
  • Silicone fluid Dow 550
  • Silicone gum rubber SE30
  • Silicone gum SE 30 Ultraphase
  • Silicone (OV-101, OV-17, OV-210, OV-215, OV-225, OV-351)
  •  …and more!

Diatomaceous Solid Supports for Liquid Phases

• Chromosorb® (T, 750, W, G, P) available as high performance, acid washed, non-acid washed, or AW-DMCS Treated.

Over 700 Billion Custom Combinations Possible From Stock Items !

This is Our Quality Control.

  1. Material inspection
  2. Controlled packing procedures
  3. Repeatability
  4. Batch traceability
  5. Performance testing
  6. Documentation
  7. Visual inspection

Why Do Our Columns Perform Consistently?

  • Uniform packing density
  • Reliable fittings
  • Minimal channeling
  • Consistent flow
  • Repeatable manufacturing
  • Controlled and repeatable processes
  • Focus on repeatability and reproducibility
  • 63 years of institutional knowledge

Are You Ready to Order Your Custom Packed GC Column?

Here is our order form that you can submit to our quotation depatment for pricing.

Packed Column Request Form

How Do I Care For A Packed GC Column?

We have included a few tips below to help extend the lifetime of your packed GC Coulmn.

Always cool the oven and injection port to room temperature before removing the column from the chromatograph.

If the column is to be used again at a later date, cap the ends before storage to prevent diffusion of air into the column. Plastic column protectors can be used for this purpose.

When a column is re-installed into a chromatograph, pass carrier gas through it for 15-30 minutes at room temperature to flush out any air before heating it to the desired operating temperature. It is advisable to further condition the column at the desired operating temperature for 1 hour before use.

Why is my Packed GC Column Not Performing Like it Used to?

Even with extreme care, column performance usually deteriorates upon prolonged use. Poor resolution and peak broadening or tailing is a result of column aging. This deterioration may be due to several factors.

For example, the injection port temperature may have been set too high and thus overheated the injector end of the column, destroying liquid phase and exposing bare uncoated support surface.

Sample residues or decomposition products might have built up on the glass wool plug.

The front end of the column packing might have degraded due to oxidation or build-up of residue.

Is There Anything I can do to Improve The Aging Column's Performance?

Before discarding an aged column, the first few inches of packing should be removed and replaced with fresh packing, and a new silanized glass wool plug inserted. This will usually improve the performance of an old column. With non-polar silicone phase columns, periodic use of a silyation reagent such as Silyl-8 will extend column life.

Pre-columns are sometimes used by chromatographers to protect and extend the life of a column. A pre-column is a short piece (typically 6” long) of the same tubing material, joined to the analytical column with a zero dead volume union, and packed with the same packing as the analytical column.

How Do I Install a Glass Packed Column?

Reducing the risk of breaking a glass column and/or leaks starts with ordering the correct column. To do that you will need to know the following: 

A. The specific make and model of the instrument the column is being installed in.

B. If your instrument accommodates more than one installed detector and injector, specify which injector and detector port are to be used. With 2 injector / 2 detector instruments, there are only two options: straight across (front-front, back-back) or diagonally (front-back, back-front)

C. What your detector type is.

D. If you are using a liner on the injector port.

E. If column outside diameter is not 1/4” or 6mm, you must specify the OD.

Choose the correct fitting hardware for your application:

A. Graphite/polyimide* or graphite single ferrules are essential to avoid breaking the column when tightening fittings. Graphite single ferrules can be more forgiving to over tightening. Graphite/polyimide single ferrules are recommended for more sensitive detectors i.e. Mass Spec or ECD.

B. Follow the instructions below to install your selected hardware.

C. If you want to include the fittings to accommodate your glass column with your order, we recommend the following:

• C50015 will include two 1/4” stainless steel nuts and two 1/4” graphite single ferrules.

• C50020 will include two 1/4” brass nuts with two 1/4” graphite single ferrules.

If ordered, the nuts and ferrules will arrive attached to the column box.  

Note: * Polyimide is often referred as Vespel®. Vespel® refers specifically to DuPont’s proprietary brand of polyimide ferrules.

Handling a glass column without breaking it requires patience. Remember to:

A. Support the column to reduce stress, do not hold the column by only one leg.

B. Before installation confirm the compatibility of your column with your GC.

C. Do not try to force the column.

D. While conditioning, your column should be attached to the injector port only. Condition according to the supplied instructions inside the box.

E. After conditioning and allowing the column to cool, insert the column with the remaining nut and ferrule into the detector end. Do this by loosening the nut on the injector port and gently sliding the column out until you have enough space to insert the column into the detector end properly.

Installing Packed Glass Columns After Conditioning

Recommended Products: • Two 1/4” graphite single ferrules • Two 1/4” nuts • One 9/16” wrench 

  1. A glass column must be installed without flexing the arms.
  2. Gently insert the detector end of the column until it cannot be inserted further, but DO NOT FORCE IT.
  3. Gently pull the column down 1-2mm.
  4. Finger tighten nut followed by a soft 1/2 turn with the wrench
  5. Perform a leak check with a leak detector**, if no leaks are present, the task is complete.


For more sensitive detectors like an ECD or Mass Spec we recommend the use of Graphite / Polyimide ferrules. 
Install using the following instructions:

  1. A glass column must be installed without flexing the arms.
  2. Gently insert the detector end of the column until it cannot be inserted further, but DO NOT FORCE IT.
  3. Gently pull the column down 1-2mm.
  4. Finger tighten nut followed by a soft 1/4 turn with the wrench
  5. Set flow and oven temperature to operating specs, allow oven to heat, then cool. (Cycle)
  6. When cooled, tighten nuts an additional 1/2 turn Adjust as necessary to prevent leakage.
  7. Perform a leak check with a leak detector**, if no leaks are present, the task is complete.

 ** For leak detection we recommend RK28500 – Restek’s Electronic Leak Detector VI.

Still Have Questions ?

You can give us a call or email us and we can find the right SPE product number for your application. It's our pleasure to help you and it's free!

1-800-267-8103 or tech@chromspec.com

Are You Ready to Order Your Customer Packed GC Column?

Here is our order form that you can submit to our quotation department for pricing.

Packed Column Request Form