Chromatography Forum

Hi,

I'm working with a Dionex Ultimate 3000. A viper fingertight fitting (P/N 6040.2365) got stuck into the column. Trying to pull it out, the capillar broke, so part of the viper (A and B from the picture) are still in the column.

¿Any suggestion to recover the column? It happily happend with a new one, on it's first use.

Thank you.

Be glad it's not a real viper, as I thought when I first read the subject.

Seriously though, if you can reverse the flow of the column you may be able to push it out. Otherwise, you might try taking something like a toothpick, with a TINY dab of superglue, and apply it to any piece of the capillary tubing that remains, or the metal piece (part b). Allow the glue to set, and see if you can pull the whole assembly out using the toothpick. However, if it fails, you now have a piece of fitting AND a toothpick stuck in your column.

Good luck!

In case of PEEK ferrules I always try to use sharp tool and spike it on the ferrule. Once fixed just turn counterclockwise. With metal very small tweezers or superglue and toothpick might work (see above).

Good luck!

Soniccate the hell out that column end(with hot water) then gently tap it on a hard surface.Worked for me.

What is the connector made of ? PEEK, stainless, some alloy ?

Peter

Hi Peter,

Hopefully the link below will answer all your questions:

http://www.dionex.com/en-us/webdocs/849 ... 0196_E.pdf

Thanks

Thanks Anthony.

Ruska, if you have not got it out yet (and if you have we would like to know how). Then try heating the fitting. With any luck the expansion of the peek seal will pop the conical section loose.

Peter

Maybe you can unscrew the column head and replace it with the column head from a already died column?
When I started working with viper capillaries I had also over-tighten the fittings sometimes. You need nearly no force to obtain a proper connection even for pressures about 1000 bar.