Gc Columns And Oven - Agilent Technologies 8890 Operation Manual

1 Getting Started

GC Columns and Oven

GC columns are located inside a temperature-controlled oven. Generally, one end of the
column is attached to the inlet, while the other end is attached to the detector.
Columns vary in length, diameter, and internal coating. Each column is designed for use with
different compounds.
The purpose of the column and the oven is to separate the injected sample into individual
compounds as it travels through the column. To aid this process, the GC oven can be
programmed to speed the sample flow through the column.
The Agilent 8890 GC can accommodate up to six columns, identified as Column #1 through
Column #6.
The 8890 will have six Smart ID Key slots on the front of the instrument. These keys hold
configuration information about the columns on the system. The Column Smart ID Keys will
define column information that could be transferred between GCs. After inserting a Smart ID
Key, you will be prompted to input which number column (1-6) the key corresponds to. After
setting the column number, set the inlet and outlet connections. The GC will then lock this
column's configuration as long as the Smart ID Key remains installed.
After removing a Smart ID Key, the GC will provide a confirmation message to confirm that the
key was removed intentionally. If confirmed, the corresponding column can be either
deconfigured, or left configured and unlocked.
16 Operation Manual