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| Step | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fill the capillary to the required level (generally between 1/4 < 1/3 < 1/2 full) using a syringe and needle. | |
| 2 | Place the ferrule over the open end of the capillary. |
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| 3 | Insert the capillary into the threaded aluminium block such that the flat end of the ferrule sits on the back face of the threaded hole. | |
| 4 | Place the threaded nut over the sealed end of the capillary and give it approximately 1/8 of a turn (so that the thread just starts to interlock and the nut is in contact with the ferrule, but you are not deforming the ferrule). |
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| 5 | Insert the sealed end of the capillary into the heat transfer block such that the largest end of the block is in contact with the blue nut. |
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| 6 | Take the alignment jig and make sure that the grub screws are undone enough so as not to obstruct the blocks. |
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| 7 | Insert the capillary assembly into the alignment jig such that the threaded block is on the side with the largest gap between the grub screws. The face with two chamfered edges should be facing down for both the threaded block and the heat transfer block. |
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| 8 | Whilst applying downward pressure onto the blocks to ensure that they are in contact with the base of the alignment jig, tighten the grub screw until they start to bite on the aluminium blocks. Over-tightening may result in the formation of burs that will obstruct the capillary assembly from slotting into the cell easily. If this occurs then sand down the blocks on a flat surface. | |
| 9 | You can now tighten the blue nut to compress the ferrule and seal the capillary. (The PTFE ferrules can be compressed more than you would initially think. Don't be afraid to tighten the nut. Listen carefully as you tighten to hear if the capillary cracks. |
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| 10 | Once Fully tightened you can undo the grub screws on the alignment jig to release the capillary assembly. |
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