Stabilwax

Stabilwax column

Restek Stabilwax GC Columns

Restek Stabilwax GC columns are highly polar bonded polyethylene glycol (PEG) columns engineered for exceptional durability, reproducibility, and performance in demanding analyses of oxygenated and hydrophilic compounds. As Restek’s flagship bonded PEG offering, Stabilwax provides enhanced column lifetime and stability compared to traditional unbonded PEG phases, while maintaining the strong selectivity required for resolving complex mixtures of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters, glycols, and flavor/fragrance components.

The bonded and crosslinked nature of the Stabilwax stationary phase allows solvent rinsing and improves thermal robustness, reducing bleed during elevated-temperature operation and supporting long-term reliability in GC-FID, GC-ECD, and GC-MS workflows. Analysts benefit from consistent retention behavior, sharper peak shapes, and reduced analyte adsorption—a crucial advantage for reactive polar compounds.

Stabilwax columns are widely used in food and beverage analysis, aroma compound profiling, process monitoring, petrochemical quality control, and environmental testing. Their inertness and stability ensure high-quality data even during extended temperature programs or repeated injections of challenging matrices.

As an authorized Restek distributor, Chrom Tech offers Stabilwax in a full range of column dimensions to support laboratories requiring a rugged, solvent-rinseable, high-polarity PEG phase for reliable and high-resolution separations of oxygenated organics.
Key Definitions ▸
Bonded Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
A chemically bonded stationary phase that improves thermal stability, reduces bleed, and allows solvent rinsing—enhancing durability over traditional unbonded PEG columns.
Oxygenated Compound Selectivity
The specialized ability of the Stabilwax phase to resolve alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and other oxygen-containing molecules with precision and reproducibility.
Solvent-Rinseable PEG Phase
A robust bonded/crosslinked phase that can be rinsed with common solvents to remove contamination and extend column lifetime without damaging the stationary phase.
Polar Analyte Inertness
The column’s resistance to adsorbing polar or reactive analytes, resulting in sharper peak shapes and improved quantitative accuracy.
Thermal Robustness
Enhanced stability during temperature programming due to bonded/crosslinked chemistry, supporting long-term performance without excessive stationary-phase degradation.
Frequently Asked Questions ▸
What types of applications are Stabilwax columns best for?
Stabilwax is ideal for separating alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, organic acids, esters, glycols, and other oxygenated volatiles commonly analyzed in food, beverage, and environmental testing.
Can Stabilwax be solvent-rinsed?
Yes. Unlike unbonded PEG columns, Stabilwax columns are bonded and crosslinked, making them safe to rinse with appropriate solvents to extend column lifetime.
Are Stabilwax columns suitable for GC-MS workflows?
Yes. Stabilwax features lower bleed than conventional PEG columns, making it compatible with GC-MS analysis when strong polarity is needed.
How does Stabilwax differ from Rtx-Wax?
Stabilwax is bonded and crosslinked, allowing solvent rinsing and improved thermal robustness, while Rtx-Wax offers a traditional PEG phase ideal for aroma and VOC analysis without solvent rinsing.