Packed Column in Gas Chromatography

Liquidized stationary phases are used in packed columns. Packed columns are very tiny, erect, tube like structures. The internal diameter of a packed column is around 2-4 mm. The stationary phase is packed inside this tiny tube, thus calling this structure as packed column. The stationary phase can be a single solid adsorbent or liquid coated solid adsorbent.

Packed columns are not long as capillary columns. Thus the path length for the separation is slightly lower than the capillary column. Hence we can guess the packed columns separate the test sample much quicker than the capillary column. On the other hand use of packed columns takes more space than the capillary columns.