Laboratories
Gas and Liquid Chromatography (GC · LC)
A programme in the principles of gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography and the operation of their instruments: instrument components, choice of columns and detectors, sample preparation, quantitative calibration, system suitability tests, preventive maintenance and troubleshooting of common faults.
Overview
About the programme
Duration
4 days
Delivery
Training room · Virtual · In the organisation’s laboratory
Language
Arabic or English
Objectives
Training outcomes
- Explain the principles of chromatographic separation and its parameters: retention time, capacity factor, selectivity, efficiency and resolution.
- Describe the components of a gas chromatograph and their functions: carrier gas, injector, oven, column and detector.
- Describe the components of a high-performance liquid chromatograph: pump, mobile phase, autosampler, column and detector.
- Choose suitable columns, detectors and operating conditions for an analysis.
- Perform quantitative calibration with external and internal standards, and apply system suitability tests.
- Carry out preventive maintenance and troubleshoot common faults in peak shape, baseline and pressure.
Content
What the programme covers
Day 1: principles of chromatography
- Fundamentals of separation: stationary and mobile phases, retention parameters, resolution and the Van Deemter equation.
- Classification of chromatographic methods and the fields of application of GC and LC.
Day 2: gas chromatography
- Carrier gas, injectors (split and splitless), capillary and packed columns and their stationary phases, and oven temperature programming.
- Detectors: FID, TCD and ECD, and an introduction to mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS).
Day 3: high-performance liquid chromatography
- Pumps, preparing and degassing the mobile phase, isocratic and gradient elution, reversed phase and C18 columns.
- Detectors: ultraviolet and diode array (DAD), fluorescence and refractive index, and an introduction to LC-MS.
Day 4: quantitative analysis and maintenance
- Sample preparation: filtration, liquid–liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction (SPE).
- Quantitative calibration with external and internal standards, system suitability tests and peak integration.
- Preventive maintenance: septum, inlet liner and column trimming in GC; seals and check valves in HPLC; troubleshooting, followed by the assessment.
Who it is for
Target audience
Analysts, chemists and technicians who operate GC and HPLC instruments in environmental, food, industrial and petrochemical laboratories, and the supervisors of these laboratories.
Method
Delivery method
Lectures and demonstrations on real chromatograms, and exercises on calculations and troubleshooting. When delivered on site, the practical work takes place in the organisation’s laboratory on its own instruments, once the organisation has sent the centre the instrument models and their software. Delivered in person or online, in Arabic or English.
Questions
FAQ
Does the programme train on a specific instrument model?
The programme teaches the principles common to all instruments. When delivered on site, the practical work uses the organisation’s instruments, once it has sent the centre their models and software so the centre can confirm what can be included.
Does the programme cover method development?
It covers the basis for choosing the column, mobile phase and operating conditions, but it does not treat method development and validation in detail; method validation is the subject of the programme on quality assurance in laboratories and chemical analysis.
A programme tailored to your organisation
The duration and topics of the programme are adjusted to the organisation's needs, and it is delivered at its site, in a training hall arranged by the Center, or virtually.