Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC Analysis) Testing Technique
GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography), also called Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), provides molecular weight data of polymers by separating analytes according to size.
A type of liquid chromatography, samples are typically dissolved in an organic solvent before filtering the solution and injecting it into a chromatography column. A molecular weight sensitive detector then monitors the concentration by weight of polymer in the eluting solvent.
Gel Permeation Chromatography offers:
- Identification of molecular weight distribution
- Separation of different molecular weight polymers
- Little chance of analyte loss occurring.
Typical Applications
- Characterization of polymers (e.g. viscosity, strength)
- Understanding of polymer performance
- Analysis of polymer wearing and degradation
- Development of new products (understanding how polymers behave)
- QA / QC during polymer production.
Typical Industries using GPC:
- Polymer manufacturers / processors
- Medical device manufacturers who use polymers (e.g. in catheters)
- Bone cement manufacturers
- Consumer health
- Packaging manufacturers.
GPC - At a Glance
- Equipment: Agilent 1260 Infinity
- Information: Molecular size distribution
- Sample Prerequisites: Soluble in appropriate solvent
- Flow Rate of Sample: ~1.0ml min-1
- Common Analytes: Polymers, proteins
- Output: Separation by molecular size and refractive index of separations