Liquid Chromatography
Five key questions to ask when buying an LC system, and a helpful maintenance tip
Liquid chromatography (LC) is a technique used to separate, identify, and quantify unknown components in a mixture. Before purchasing LC systems, it’s important to consider your application as specific components—including columns and detectors—that are better suited for certain sample types. For a list of LC manufacturers, see our online directory: LabManager.com/LC-manufacturers
5 Questions to Ask When Buying an LC System:
- What columns will you require for your sample type?
- What detector is best suited to your application?
- What software is available for instrument programming and data analysis, and how easy is it to use?
- What after-market support is provided by the manufacturer?
- Would a pre-owned LC system better accommodate your budget?
Maintenance Tip
It is important to build an effective schedule to inspect, clean, and replace key parts of your LC instrument. Depending on the usage of the instrument, a maintenance schedule can range from quarterly to annually. Key parts users should pay close attention to are pump seals, purge frits, autosampler seats, tubing, and guard columns. LabManager.com/PRG-2022-LC-maintenance
Purchasing Tip
When implementing a new LC system, consider incorporating a chromatography data system to help better manage experiments and data. Integrating this software will streamline workflows, allow users to easily store and collect data, and provide an audit trail for compliance control.