Syringe Selection, Care and Maintenance Guide

IntroductionOn first inspection the autosampler syringe may appear to be a fairly simple component. However when you consider the importance of its function and the challenges it encounters it is clear this is not the case:

• Accuracyandprecision – the syringe must reliably draw up the correct volume of sample from a range of different viscosity liquids often containing solid particles

• Physicalrobustness – the needle must not core GC inlet septum or bend when handled aggressively by the autosampler and be able to withstand high temperatures in a GC inlet

• Chemicalrobustness – the syringe must withstand aggressive solvents such as methylene chloride and corrosive samples

They must perform many hundreds of injections without failure of any part of the syringe and are often given little or no maintenance.

To facilitate the varied types of analysis performed by the modern LC and GC instruments a wide range of syringes have been developed. This has resulted in a confusing array of options that can trip up both novice and experienced users alike. The rest of this guide will explain the syringe options that exist so you can select the correct syringe first time.

How to Select the Right SyringeTo select the correct SGE syringe from the Kinesis range there are 7 pieces of information needed:

1. Themanufacturerofautosamplerthesyringeistobeinstalledon2. Theneedletype(fixedorremovableneedle)3. Thevolumerequired4. Theneedlelength(onlysomesystemshaveoptions)5. Theneedleouterdiameterorgauge6. Theneedletipstyle/sampletype

Obviously if you know what you want then selection is easy. But what if we aren’t sure what you require. What are the different options available and why should we select one over the other?

A range of styles are available

Length and gauge chosen is dependent upon instrument and application

Removable and fixed needles are available

PTFE or metal tipped plungers

Borosilicate glass barrel. Volume chosen dependant on application

Plunger button. Interfaces with autosampler

kinesis-group.com

Instrument/Autosampler ManufacturerThis is relevant to how the syringe will connect to the autosampler as plunger connection is specific to the autosampler so it is necessary to know which autosampler is used. Some instruments may have an autosampler from another manufacturer fitted. For example Agilent GCs may be connected to a Gerstal autosampler.

Some manufacturers will revise the design of their autosampler periodically. For example when Thermo Scientific released the “Triplus RSH” autosampler they altered the connection from that used on the Triplus Classic and AS3000 so requires different syringes.

Needle TypeThe two options here are removable and fixed. Unsurprisingly, removable needles may be removed and replaced if they become blocked or damaged.

Fixed needle syringes have the needle cemented in place so cannot be removed.

The choice here generally comes down to price. Fixed needles are cheaper, as a correctly aligned autosampler will rarely break a needle these are more commonly used with an autosampler.

Syringe VolumeTo get the best reproducibility from a syringe the injection volume should never be below 10% of the total volume of the syringe. So for a 2.5 mL syringe 250 µL is the minimum volume.

Most liquid GC injections are in the 1µL range so most laboratories use either 5 or 10 µL syringes as standard. For HPLC 100 µL syringes are most commonly used.

For headspace GC sample volume is usually around 1 mL so a 2.5 mL syringe is appropriate most of the time.

Needle LengthWhereas plunger attachment is relevant to the autosampler, needle length is relevant to the instrument model.

If we follow the example of Thermo Scientific RSH autosamplers from earlier. The Triplus RSH autosampler can be fitted to either a Thermo Scientific Trace ULTRA GC or Trace 1300 GC. Both of these are Thermo Scientific instruments but have different needle length requirements.

Different types of inlet on the same instrument may also require different needle lengths. For example an “on-column” injection may need a longer needle. It may be necessary to refer to the manufacturers handbook to determine what needle length you require.

Needle outer diameter or gaugeNeedle gauge is often a source of confusion. The higher the number the thinner the needle. For example a 26 gauge needle is thinner (and therefore more fragile) than a 23 gauge needle.

For most situations a 23 gauge needle is the best compromise between strength and inlet/vial septum coring. In some situations, such as when performing on-column injection or if the user suffers badly from inlet septum coring, a 26 gauge needle may be preferable. However you must be careful that the autosampler is well aligned to prevent breakage.

Dual gauge needles are available which have a narrow (26 gauge) section near the tip that tapers to 23 towards the barrel. These offer increased strength and can also perform on-column injections. These can be a good compromise if you find 23 gauge syringes too fragile.

Needle Tip StyleThe type of needle you use will depend on the application of the syringe. The options are:

Beveltip – good for manual injection

GC, but prone to burrs

Conetip – general purpose autosampler needle that resists septum coring

Dometip – similar to the cone tip but should be used with pre-drilled septa

Dualgaugetip – as described in the gauge section these have a taper towards the tip and are thicker towards the barrel giving increased strength allowing OC injections

Flator90°tips – for LC injections. Eliminates damage to valve rotor seals and stator face. If evaporation is not a problem it can be best to use pre-slit vial septa with these needles

Sidehole – the sample is ejected through a hole in the side of the needle. This prevents plugging of the needle from vial or inlet septum. Best used for gas/headspace injections

Sheathedbeveltip – similar to dual gauge tips but with a bevelled tip for manual injections

Sample TypeThis is relevant as some injections require a PTFE tipped plunger, also known as a gas-tight plunger to be used. Headspace injections for example require this as a non PTFE tipped plunger may leak sample prior to injection.

Some users performing liquid sampling will also select a PTFE tipped plunger. This is because PTFE is a low friction and corrosion resistant material so these plungers are less prone to sticking or damage from corrosive samples.

An added advantage of PTFE tipped plungers is that they may be replaced if damaged. A non PTFE tipped plunger is specific for each barrel, so if the plunger is damaged the entire syringe must be replaced.

Syringe CareWashing your syringe regularly is essential to maintain performance. Between injections at least three washes should be performed to prevent carryover. Solvent selection will depend upon the nature of the sample used. Using two solvents of different polarities, finishing with the same solvent as the sample usually gives good cleaning.

In addition to this regular syringe cleaning is recommended. This entails:

1. Rinsing the syringe with a suitable solvent (depends on sample composition)

2. Rinsing with water

3. Flushing with acetone

4. Wiping plunger with acetone soaked tissue

5. Allowing entire syringe to air dry (plunger removed)

The maintenance interval will be dictated by usage and sample type, however weekly cleaning is recommended. Never submerge a syringe in solvent as adhesives used to assemble the syringe may be damaged.

AutoclavingAutoclaving may be performed to remove semi-volatile material. Always remove the plunger prior to autoclaving and ensure the correct plunger is re-inserted in the correct syringe:

• Fixed needle, fixed luer and plunger in needle syringes may be autoclaved to 70 °C

• Removable needle and removable luer syringes may be autoclaved to 120 °C

Unblocking SyringesDifferent approaches are required to unblock a syringe depending on the cause of the blockage:

1. If you believe the blockage is caused by inlet or vial septum or other insoluble material try removing the plunger, fill the barrel with solvent (using another syringe is helpful), replace the plunger and gently push the solvent out of the syringe. Never force the plunger as this may crack the barrel. If this doesn’t work try approach 2 below with a strong solvent like methylene chloride which may break down the septum material.

2. If you believe the blockage is caused by precipitation, such as buffer salts, try soaking the needle in a suitable solvent, such as distilled water, to see if the obstruction may be dissolved. Sonicating for 5 minutes may help this. As mentioned previously never fully submerge the syringe in solvent.

3. Feeding thin wires, known as Stylet Wires, down the eye of the needle may help dislodge the blockage. These are available for purchase as part of a needle cleaning kit (Kinesis Pt / No 031782).

4. As a last resort (just before disposing of the syringe) try heating the needle on a hot plate or by manually inserting into a GC inlet and allowing to heat up for 30 seconds. Then try drawing up non-flammable solvent, such as water, into the barrel or repeat step 1 with a heated needle. The expansion of the metal needle can sometimes allow the blockage to be moved. However it is also easy to damage the needle and barrel with excessive heating.

Once a syringe has been un-blocked it is sensible to take measures to prevent it from re-occurring in the future:

• If septum coring was responsible check if the needle tip is burred? If so remove burrs with fine sand paper. If not, is the correct needle tip style and septum material being used?

• If it is GC inlet septum coring is the septum over-tightened? Over-tightening causes compression of the septum causing it to lose its elasticity leading to coring

• If solid material in the sample is causing the blockage should the sample be filtered prior to analysis?

• If salts are precipitating try revising the wash protocol to include more washes with distilled water immediately after contact with the sample

SummaryWhen selecting a syringe it is essential to know the nature of the sample it will be used on and the requirements of both the autosampler and HPLC/GC instrument.

Once the correct syringe is selected a little regular maintenance will give a long productive lifetime.

For more information about syringes and other products in the SGE range please go to www.sge.com

GC Autosampler Syringes - Agilent Instruments

Syringe Part No.

Syringe Volume

PTFETipped Plunger

Needle Length(mm)

Needle Gauge

NeedleOD (mm)

NeedleID (mm)

Needle Tip

Syringe CodeReplacement

NeedlePart No.

ReplacementNeedlePart No.

6 Pack Part No.

10 Pack Part No.

25 Pack Part No.

HP7673,7683,7693Aand6850ALSFixedNeedle

001800 5 µL - 42 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 5F-HP-0.47 - - 001804 - -

001810 5 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 5F-HP-0.63 - - 001814 - -

001821 5 µL - 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 5F-HP-0.63/0.47 - - - 001822 -

002800 10 µL - 42 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 10F-HP-0.47 - - 002804 - -

002810 10 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10F-HP-0.63 - - 002814 - 002813

002812 10 µL 3 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10F-HP-GT-0.63 - 031808 - - -

002821 10 µL - 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 10F-HP-0.63/0.47 - - 002822 - 002824

002826 10 µL 3 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 10F-HP-GT-63/47 - 031808 002827 - -

002839 10 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10F-4 .2/0.63C - - - -

003668 25 µL 3 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 25F-HP-GT-0.63/47 - 031818 - -

004668 50 µL 3 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 50F-HP-GT-0.63/47 - 031822 - -

005668 100 µL 3 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 100F-HP-GT-63/47 - 031823 - -

HP7673,7683,7693Aand6850ALSFixedNeedle-SuperFleX™FlexiblePlunger

002830 10 µL - 42 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 10FX-HP-0.47 - - 002831 -

002835 10 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10FX-HP-0.63 - - 002838 -

HP7673,7683,7693Aand6850ALSRemovableNeedle

000400 0.5 µL - 42 26 0.47 0.1 Cone 0.5BR-HP-0.47 033708 - - - -

000410 0.5 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.1 Cone 0.5BR -HP-0.63 033715 - - - -

000415 0.5 µL - 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.1 Cone 0.5BR-H P-63/47 033730 - - - -

000610 1 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.22 Cone 1BR -HP-0.63 034715 - - - -

001805 5 µL - 42 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 5R -HP-0.47 036710 - - - -

001815 5 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 5R-HP-0.63 036720 - - - -

001825 5 µL - 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 5R-HP-0.63/0.47 036730 - - - -

002805 10 µL - 42 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 10R -HP-0.47 037715 - - - -

002815 10 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10R -HP-0.63 037717 - - - -

002817 10 µL 3 42 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 10R-HP-GT-0.47 037715 031809 - - -

002818 10 µL 3 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10R-HP-GT-0.63 037717 031809 - 002820 -

002825 10 µL - 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 10R-HP-0.63/0.47 037730 - - - -

002829 10 µL 3 42 23-26 0.63/0.47 0.11 Cone 10R-HP-GT-63/47 037730 031809 - - -

003665 25 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.2 Cone 25R-HP-0.63 038717 - - - -

004665 50 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.24 Cone 50R-HP-0.63 038717 - - - -

005665 100 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.24 Cone 100R-HP-0.63 038717 - - - -

006665 250 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.24 Cone 250R-HP-0.63 038717 - - - -

HP7673,7683,7693Aand6850ALSRemovableNeedleSyringes-SuperFleX™FlexiblePlunger

002844 10 µL - 42 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 10RX-HP-0.47 037715 - - - -

002845 10 µL - 42 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10RX-HP-0.63 037717 - - - -

HP7670RemovableNeedle

000585 1 µL - 50 23 0.63 0.15 Bevel 1BR-F5 034705 - - - -

HP7671A-7672RemovableNeedle

000587 1 µL - 56 23 0.63 0.15 Bevel 1BR-FV-56 034710 - - - -

Syringe Part No.

Syringe

Volume

PTFETipped Plunger

Needle Length(mm)

Needle Gauge

NeedleOD

(mm)

NeedleID (mm)

Needle Tip Syringe CodeReplacement

NeedlePart No.

6 Pack Part No.

FixedNeedle

001700 5 µL - 50 26 0.47 0.1 Cone 5F-CTC-5/0.47C - -

001981 5 µL - 50 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 5F-C/T-5/0.63C - -

001982 5 µL - 50 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 5F-C/T-5/0.47C - -

002977 10 µL 3 50 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 10F-C/T-GT-5/0.47C 031803 002976

002700 10 µL - 50 26 0.47 0.15 Cone 10F-CTC-5/0.47C - -

002705 10 µL - 50 26 0.47 0.11 Bevel 10F-CTC-5/0.47BV - -

002981 10 µL - 50 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10F-C/T-5/0.63C - 002971

002983 10 µL - 50 22 0.72 0.175 Side Hole 10F-CTC-GT-5/0.72H - -

002987 10 µL 3 50 23 0.63 0.11 Cone 10F-C/T-GT-5/0.63C 031803 002972

003700 25 µL 3 50 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 25F-CTC-GT-5/0.47C 0318922 -

003980 25 µL - 50 26 0.47 0.15 Cone 25F-C/T-0.47C - -

003987 25 µL 3 50 23 0.63 0.24 Cone 25F-C/T-GT-0.63C 031817 -

005700 100 µL 3 50 26 0.47 0.11 Cone 100F-CTC-GT-5/0.47C 031826 -

005335 100 µL 3 50 23 0.63 0.24 Cone 100F-C/T-GT-0.63C 031826 -

006700 250 µL 3 50 26 0.47 0.25 Cone 250F-CTC-GT-5/0.47C 0318926 -

007700 500 µL 3 50 26 0.47 0.25 Cone 500F-CTC-GT-5/0.47C 0318928 -

008135 1 µL 3 56 26 0.47 0.15 Side Hole 1MF-CTC-GT-HS-5/0.47H 0318441 -

008130 1 µL 3 56 23 0.63 0.15 Side Hole 1MF-CTC-GT-HS-5/0.63H 0318441 -

008635 2.5 µL 3 56 26 0.47 0.15 Side Hole 2.5MF-CTC-GT-HS-5/0.47H 0318451 -

008630 2.5 µL 3 56 23 0.63 0.15 Side Hole 2.5MF-CTC-GT-HS-5/0.63H 0318451 -

GC Autosampler Syringes - CTC Analytics

Syringe Part No.

Syringe Volume

PTFE Tipped Plunger

Termination Syringe Code Replacement Needle Part No.

003670 25 µL 3 1/4-28 UNEF 25D-HP1090-GT 0318181

006670 250 µL 3 1/4-28 UNEF 250D-HP1090-GT 031829

LC Autosampler Syringes - Agilent Instruments

Syringe Part No.

Syringe

Volume

PTFETipped Plunger

Needle Length(mm)

Needle Gauge

NeedleOD

(mm)

NeedleID (mm)

Needle Tip Syringe CodeReplacement

NeedlePart No.

6 Pack Part No.

FixedNeedle

002710 10 µL - 51 22 0.72 0.17 LC 10F-CTC-LC - -

002715 10 µL 3 51 22 0.72 0.17 LC 10F-CTC-GT-LC - 031803

003715* 25 µL 3 51 22 0.72 0.17 LC 25F-CTC-GT-LC - 0318921

003984 25 µL - 51 22 0.72 0.37 LC 25F-C/F-LC - -

004810 50 µL 3 51 22 0.72 0.37 LC 50F-C/T-GT-LC - 031821

005715 100 µL 3 51 22 0.72 0.17 LC 100F-CTC-GT-LC - 0318261

005720 100 µL 3 51 22 0.72 0.4 LC 100F-CTC-GT-LC (0.4) - 0318924

006720* 250 µL 3 51 22 0.72 0.4 LC 250F-CTC-GT-LC (0.4) - 0318926

007720 500 µL 3 51 22 0.72 0.4 LC 500F-CTC-GT-LC (0.4) - 0318928

LC Autosampler Syringes - CTC Analyatics/Leap

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