A simplified packing and operating procedure for capillary electrochro
matography (CEC) has been developed which draws from some of the more
accessible features of published practice. The key elements of this me
thodology are use of an end-fitting and Frit from a I-mm microbore col
umn in the initial phase of the packing, use of a conventional constan
t-flow HPLC pump for capillary packing, conditioning of the packed cap
illary using a conventional constant-flow HPLC pump with flow splittin
g, bedding down of the packed capillary under an electric field while
fitted into the CE instrument and operation without pressurisation and
without an end frit. Working in such a manner, CEC was carried out on
a commercial test mixture and mixtures of steroids. (C) 1998 Elsevier
Science B.V.