Three Reasons You’ll Want to Switch to Agilent Capillary Tubing

Stainless steel tubing is the most popular material for HPLC and UHPLC due to it being compatible with many HPLC solvents, and able to withstand very high pressures. PEEK is the most common alternative to SS tubing due to its biocompatibility and that it is easy to use (flexible, can be cut in the lab, etc.). Regardless of the tubing type, making proper connections and selecting the appropriate lengths and internal diameter of your tubing can help improve your results!

Should I Use Stainless Steel or PEEK Tubing?

Stainless steel is ideal for most standard applications, except where bio-inertness is required, in which case PEEK (or another bio-inert alternative) would be recommended. We recommend Agilent’s line of 0.6 mm OD flexible stainless steel capillaries, which offers many benefits to regular stainless steel tubing:

• Integrity of tubing ID
  Since the capillaries are flexible, you can bend the capillaries without worrying that the integrity of the inner diameter will be compromised. In fact, you can bend and twist the capillaries into a knot and the inner diameter will remain the same size.

• Hassle-free connections
  The capillaries are flexible and easy to handle in comparison to regular, rigid 1.6 mm OD tubing. Also, the capillaries can be used with Agilent’s InfinityLab Quick Connect fittings, which allows for easy connections to all HPLC columns.

• Ultra-High Pressure Limits
  The high flexibility of the capillaries does not sacrifice the durability or pressure limits of typical stainless steel tubing. In fact, when paired with ultra-high pressure fittings, these capillaries can withstand UHPLC pressures.

For more information, refer to our Capillary selection guide, or reach out to one of our technical product specialists to determine which capillary tubing is right for your application.