A NEW SMALL-PARTICLE PACKING FOR FASTER ANALYSIS WITH HIGH-RESOLUTION

The need for fast and efficient separations of complex samples such as pharmaceuticals and biologicals led to the development of fast, effic ient, and reproducible 3.5 mu m columns. Separations using 3.5 mu m co lumn are 30-50% faster at equal plate-count compared to 5 mu m columns . The results show that the 3.5 mu m columns (100 mm length) give the same efficiency and resolution of drug impurities as the 5 mu m column s (150 mm length). For many analytical methods, switching to 3.5 mu m columns saves time and reduces costs. Separation methodologies using 5 mu m columns are easily modified to accommodate 3.5 mu m columns of t he same chemistry because efficiency, resolution and sensitivity remai n the same. It is shown that 3.5 mu m columns have lifetimes comparabl e to 5 mu m columns of the same brand. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.