HPLC Tubing and Connections
Stephen Aspey

A wide selection of connective tubing and fittings are available for connection of LC columns to your instrument.. PEEK is compatible for most reverse-phase and normal-phase solvents, However PEEK incompatible solvents, high temperatures or high pressures may require the use of stainless-steel. A summary of the tubing available from Thermo Electron and their color coding is provided below.



The narrowest appropriate tubing should be selected for separation. However, tubing which has a very narrow bore may be prone to high backpressure and blockage. Additional advice on the selection of tubing, fittings and other useful items is provided in the guide below.



Tubing should be squarely cut to ensure that any joins contain minimal dead volume. PEEKsil tubing should be bought in the lengths required for connection with the instrument and column and should not be cut.

Slip free connectors are a complete tubing-connector solution. The tubing is manufactured from stainless steel and is available in different lengths. The tubing terminates at one or both ends with the slip-free connector itself which employs a novel screw system to ensure that the end of the tubing is completely inserted in the column (or fitting) thereby reducing dead volume which would otherwise contribute to peak broadening and ultimately loss of resolution.