Feasibility study of using refrigerant 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane as the mobile phase in high-speed counter-current chromatography

Newly synthesized environmentally benign refrigerant 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroeth ane (R134a) was used as the mobile phase in high-speed counter-current chro matography (HSCCC) in this study. R134a remains as a liquid under mild pres sure and becomes a gas at atmospheric pressure. Accordingly, operation of H SCCC equipped with regular polytetrafluoroethylene tubing was satisfactory. Since R134a turned into gas at ambient temperature and pressure, further c oncentration for the collected fractions after elution was not required. A mixture of four standard components of Angelicae radix was separated to dem onstrate the feasibility of using this new mobile phase in HSCCC. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.