Metrohm Separation Columns for Ion Chromatography

Ion Chromatography (IC) applications are solved by selection of the correct separation column. As column technology evolves, it is prudent to periodically review the available options.

Anion columns for use with Chemical Suppression
The Metrosep A Supp 4, is a robust workhorse column with excellent separating properties. It uses polyvinyl alcohol particles with a 9µm pore size. This arrangement guarantees a high stability and great tolerance to very fine particles that could pass through the built-in filter plate. The A Supp 4 is particularly suitable for all routine tasks in water analysis.

The Metrosep A Supp 5(250) is the high-performance separating column. It has an extremely high number of plates for the most demanding separating tasks. Since it is manufactured from a polyvinyl alcohol substrate resin with a 5µm diameter, even complex separating problems can be solved easily and reproducibly without any sample preparation. The application range of this column far exceeds the detection of the standard anions and also exhibits selectivity towards organic anions.

With the Metrosep A Supp 7, the oxyhalide ions plus the standard anions can be determined reliably and precisely. This can be done down to the lower ppb range. The outstanding detection sensitivity is obtained by applying the 5µm polyalcohol polymer, which yields extremely high plate numbers and accordingly excellent separation and detection characteristics. The separations require a temperature of 45°C and meet the requirements of EPA methods 300.1 and 317.0.

The Metrosep A Supp 10 separation column is based on a high-capacity polystyrene/divinylbenzene co-polymer. It has a particle size of only 4.6µm and is the column of choice for routine applications due to its separation performance and price. The column is characterized by its robustness, high selectivity and excellent separation performance. By variation of temperature, flow rate and eluent composition, the column characteristics can be adapted to the application at hand.

The Metrosep Dual 4 column contains an entirely novel carrier material, which incorporates a functionalized monolith based on silica that allows flow rates of up to 5 mls per minute. Even at high flow rates, the column's counter-pressure remains small. Compared to conventional column substrate materials, the monolith has a much larger surface area which gives a higher capacity. The Metrosep Dual 4 column is the separation column of choice for the detection of very small amounts of toxic perchlorate, as it allows detection of 0.5 ppb perchlorate in the presence of a total of 3g l-1 of chloride, carbonate and sulfate.

Cation columns for use without chemical suppression
The Metrosep C2 (250) is the cation column with a high capacity for the simultaneous determination of mono and divalent cations. Samples with extreme concentration differences can be reliably analyzed with this column. With the C2, both amines and transition metals as well as the alkali metals and alkaline earths can be determined in a single run.

The Metrosep C3 (250) is a robust cation column that uses a unique carrier based on a polyalcohol material for an improved peak separation with mono and divalent cations. The peak shapes obtained with this cation column are perfectly symmetrical and the Metrosep C3's excellent selectivity also allows for the separation of transition metals.

To learn more about the optimum column choice for Ion Chromatography, please click 'request info'.