How would I regenerate an HPLC column after it has *dried out?

 

* Dried out means, someone else took my column off the HPLC machine for me and didn't replace one of the end fixtures. I didn't realize this until ~2.5 weeks later. Air hasn't been pumped through the column, but I'm getting unusual UV traces (High absorbance in irreproducible areas). Does anyone have any suggestions?

What kind of column is it? Generally the only thing you can do is flush it. You may also reverse the flow (ie reconnect the column the other way round) to improve removal of impurities.

For RP columns I recommend successively water, methanol, Acn, isopropabol, hexane, isopropanol, and then whatever your mobile phase is. The idea is to decrease polarity, while ensuring miscibility with each of the following solvents (that is what isopropanol is there for).

Edited August 27, 200916 yr by CharonY
decrease, not increase...