Contamination from new column manager

jbarr
jbarr
in Instrumentation and Mass Spectrometry
<p><span>Hi,</span></p><p></p><p><span>We've just installed a new column manager on our Aquity UPLC - LCT premier system. Unfortunately it seems to leave significant contamination in our chromatograms (see attached screenshot: column manager vs no column manager).</span></p><p></p><p><span>Has anybody seen this before? Are there any parts I could swap over to get rid of the contamination? </span></p><p></p><p><span>I'm going to leave some cleaning solutions overnight to see if that hepls, but I'm not very hopeful.</span></p><p></p><p><span>Kind Regards,</span></p><p></p><p><span>Jonathan</span></p>

Answers

  • EGrumbach
    EGrumbach

    HI Jonathon,

    I think a bit of troubleshooting needs to be done before any conclusions can be drawn.

    First, I recommend bypassing the column manager from the flow path. Disconnect the piece of tubing that connects the injector to the column manager. Then connect the inlet of the column to the injector with a piece of tubing. Connect the column outlet to the MS with a piece of PEEK tubing, again bypassing the column manager. If you still observe the same peaks/ions, then either the mobile phase or the column is contaminated.

    If you do not observe the peaks/ions, then the contamination may be due to the column manager. If this is the case, doing a solvent cleansing exercise for 60 minutes in each channel (1,2,3,4 and bypass) will remove the contamination. I recommend a 2% formic acid solution in a mixture of 25:25:25:25 of water, acetonitrile, methanol and isopropanol.

    Please let me know the outcome of this exercise.

  • jbarr
    jbarr

    Thanks for your quick reply.

    I've already performed the column manager bypass test......the results were in the file attached to the original message, showing that the peaks are not observed.

    I'll leave your cleaning method running this afternoon; though please bear in mind that the column manager is brand new.

    Kind Regards,

    Jonathan

  • lizh
    lizh

    This thread has been forwarded to our Quality Manager . We will check where the issue has arisen. I will update you, but the cleaning is the the only way to remove, as has already been suggested.

    Apologies,

    Liz

  • jbarr
    jbarr

    Hi, after the cleaning sequence suggested earlier, the column manager peaks have now gone. Thanks.

  • lizh
    lizh

    Thank you, we are looking into this still, we want to pull and test a number of units. So we shall keep you posted.

    Liz

Categories