Conditioning Your Flash Column for Maximum Performance
Congratulations—you’re on your way to achieving better chromatography results. When you properly condition a flash column, it extends the life of your flash columns and ensures consistent performance. Follow these best practices for conditioning, cleaning, and storage.
Initial Preconditioning
Before running your samples, you must condition a dry reverse-phase flash cartridge:
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Activate the column – At half the normal flow rate, flush the column with 4–6 column volumes (CVs) of your strong organic solvent (B), typically methanol or acetonitrile.
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Balance with solvent mix – Next, flush with 2 CVs of at least a 1:1 mixture of solvent B and solvent A (e.g., methanol:water or acetonitrile:water).
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Equilibrate the column – Finally, run 3–6 CVs of your intended mobile phase at the normal flow rate to prepare the column for separation.
Post-Run Cleaning
Proper cleaning after each run allows Bonded Series flash columns to be reused up to 20 times or more.
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If no buffers were used – Flush with 90% methanol in water for 5 CVs.
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If buffers were used – Replace the aqueous phase (A) with pure water and flush for 5 CVs. Follow with a 100% organic phase (B) flush for another 5 CVs.
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Why this order matters – Flushing with water first prevents salt precipitation, which could damage the column if exposed directly to pure organic solvent.
Proper Storage
Storing your column correctly is just as important as conditioning and cleaning.
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Never let the column dry – Once wetted, avoid air purging, which can cause channeling due to expansion and contraction of the stationary phase.
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Keep it capped and wet – Store in 70–85% methanol or acetonitrile in water.
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Label the solvent – Mark the column or log it in your register with the solvent used for storage. Ideally, continue using the same solvent system after storage to maintain consistency.
✅ By conditioning your column before use, cleaning it thoroughly after runs, and storing it correctly, you’ll get the most out of your flash chromatography system—saving both time and resources.
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