Do We Need Glass Wool in a GC Inlet Liner?

The glass wool packing in a GC inlet liner may seem like a small, possibly insignificant, item, however, it has the potential to cause numerous analytical problems; these include tailing peaks, poor reproducibility, and inlet discrimination. However, with some careful consideration to method development and the correct use of glass wool packing it can, of course, be advantageous for many methods. This quick guide will review why we use liner packing, describe the tell tale chromatographic symptoms that indicate a problem with the packing, and provide you with practical tips to getting your liner packing correct.