AGILENT ORGANIC GPC/SEC COLUMNS

Importance of the Topic

Objectives and Article Overview

Methodology and Instrumentation

• Particle sizes: 3–20 µm (PLgel, PlusPore, MIXED), 6 µm (OligoPore), 10–13 µm (Preparative, Olexis).
• Pore size ranges: 50–10 000 Å and mixed beds for linear calibration over wide MW ranges.
• Operating conditions: Temperatures up to 220 °C, pressures up to 150 bar, and flow rates from 0.06 mL/min (narrow bore) to >16 mL/min (Preparative).
• Solvent compatibility: THF, toluene, chloroform, DMSO, DMF, HFIP, chlorinated aromatics, and water-miscible systems.
• Calibration: EasiCal and EasiVial polystyrene and polyethylene glycol standards for 10–12 point calibration curves.
• Instrumentation: Agilent 1260 Infinity II GPC/SEC system with refractive index detector, Infinity II Multi-Detector System combining RI, light scattering, viscometry, ELSD, and high-temperature GPC modules.

Main Results and Discussion

• PLgel media deliver robust baseline stability in harsh solvents, supporting >40 years of reproducible operation.
• InfinityLab PlusPore columns combine multiple pore sizes in one particle for sub-10 min separations with resolutions exceeding 60 000 plates/m.
• Specialized columns—PolyPore, ResiPore, MesoPore, and OligoPore—are tailored for polymers from 200 g/mol to 10 M g/mol, enabling optimized separation of general polymers, resins, prepolymers, and oligomers.
• PL Rapide columns maximize throughput on older or high-dispersion systems by tolerating flow rates up to 3 mL/min without loss of resolution.
• Narrow bore formats (2.1 mm ID) reduce solvent consumption by up to 93 % while maintaining high sensitivity when coupled to low-dispersion detectors.
• Olexis columns sustain high-temperature analysis (up to 220 °C) for polyolefins and performance polymers using trichlorobenzene eluents.
• MIXED columns blend individual pore size beds to yield linear calibration curves across defined MW windows, simplifying data interpretation and stacking for enhanced resolution.
• PL HFIPgel supports HFIP eluents for polyesters and polyamides at 40 °C without artifacts.
• EnviroPrep columns automate cleanup of environmental and food extracts under EPA protocols, isolating target analytes while excluding high-MW interferents.
• Individual pore size columns achieve high resolution for narrow MW classes, and Preparative columns enable milligram-to-gram fractionation for offline spectroscopic or physical testing.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Accelerated polymer development and quality control through rapid MW profiling and branching analysis.
• Enhanced laboratory safety and sustainability via narrow bore formats and solvent-resistant hardware.
• Automated environmental, food, and pharmaceutical sample cleanup with high recovery of trace analytes.
• Fraction collection for synthesizing targeted oligomers or removing low/ high MW fractions for materials testing.
• Seamless integration with Agilent InfinityLab supplies and software accelerates method development and maintains consistency.

Future Trends and Opportunities

• Greater automation and online coupling of GPC/SEC with mass spectrometry and multidimensional separations.
• Adoption of greener eluents and recycling strategies to reduce VOC usage and waste.
• AI-assisted method development leveraging large datasets to optimize flow rates, column sets, and calibration protocols.
• Advanced polymer media chemistries to extend MW ranges and improve resistance to aggressive solvents.
• Expansion of high-throughput preparative GPC for biopharmaceutical and complex natural polymer fractionation.

Conclusion

References

• Calibrating GPC/SEC Columns—A Guide to Best Practice, Agilent publication 5991-2720EN
• Step-by-Step Method Development for GPC/SEC, Agilent publication 5991-7272EN
• Polymer-to-Solvent Reference Table for GPC/SEC, Agilent publication 5991-6802EN
• Instrument Setup for Fast GPC, Agilent publication 5991-7191EN
• GPC/SEC Standards Product Guide, Agilent publication 5990-7996EN
• Aqueous and Polar GPC/SEC Columns, Agilent publication 5990-7995EN