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Bestchrom provides customers with empty chromatography columns as well as corresponding accessories in various specifications. This product category ranges from lab-scale columns, pilot scale to manufacturing scale, enabling easier scale-up in chromatography processing.
Welcome to our Questions and Answers About Empty Chromatography Columns! Whether you are new to chromatography or have some hands‑on experience, you may have encountered situations where you need an empty chromatography column and wonder how to choose, handle, or prepare it for your experiments. In this section, we’ll tackle the most common queries — from what an empty chromatography column actually is, to how to select the right type, pack it correctly, and avoid pitfalls during use. Our goal is to give you clear, practical answers so you can feel confident working with empty chromatography columns and get the best results in your separation tasks.
An empty chromatography column is a reusable tube (usually glass or plastic) designed to be packed with a stationary phase such as silica gel, resin, or other chromatographic media. It allows users to customize the packing material depending on their separation needs.
Most empty columns are made of glass, polypropylene (PP), or stainless steel, depending on their intended pressure rating and compatibility with solvents.
Glass: ideal for low-pressure, visible packing.
PP: lightweight, cost-effective, good for aqueous solutions.
Stainless steel: suitable for high-pressure applications (e.g., HPLC prep columns).
They range from small micro-columns (1–5 mL) for research work to large industrial columns (liters to hundreds of liters) for process-scale purification. Column sizes are typically defined by internal diameter (ID) and length.
Select the size based on:
As a basic rule: larger ID = higher loading capacity, but lower resolution at the same bed height.
Only if the column material and hardware are rated for the intended pressure.
Standard glass or plastic columns are for gravity-flow or low-pressure use.
Stainless steel columns with threaded fittings are for HPLC or high-pressure systems.
Common media include:
Always match the media to the solvent and pressure compatibility of the column.
Good packing depends on:
Depending on materials and solvents:
Yes—most are reusable if cleaned thoroughly and handled properly.
Glass and PP columns have a long lifespan for low-pressure use.
Stainless steel columns are durable but must be maintained to prevent corrosion.
Check material compatibility:
PP: not ideal for strong organic solvents.
Glass: compatible with most solvents.
Stainless steel: usually solvent-resistant, but avoid corrosive halides unless specified.
Always review the chemical resistance table for safety.
They are used for:
Many manufacturers offer:
This is useful for labs or production facilities requiring specific designs.
An empty chromatography column itself does not contain a stationary phase and can be packed with different media according to experimental needs. Its main uses include:
Because the media can be flexibly replaced, empty columns are widely used in research and development, teaching, pilot-scale production, and small-to-medium scale industrial applications.
A qualified laboratory chromatography column typically needs to meet the following requirements:
Chromatography columns can be classified based on structure, pressure, and packing style. Common classifications include:
In laboratories, multiple types of columns are usually used simultaneously to meet different separation tasks.
The price of chromatography columns varies by type, size, and packing material. Small lab columns can cost tens to hundreds of dollars, while HPLC or protein purification columns may cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Empty columns are usually cheaper than pre-packed ones.
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