High‐speed aqueous gel‐permeation chromatography

Abstract

Abstract High‐speed gel‐permeation chromatography (GPC) of water‐soluble polymers has been investigated by using TSK‐GEL, type‐PW columns packed with small porous particles. Being semirigid, the column packing could be operated under high pressure and, therefore, it was possible to achieve high‐speed GPC. A resolution higher than that of ordinary GPC in organic solvent system was attained when the measurement of one sample was completed within 40 min with a 6‐ft column set. Samples with a wide range of molecular weights, from oligomers to polymers having a molecular weight greater than 10 6 , could be fractionated. Dextran, polyethylene glycol, polyacrylamide, poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) were separated according to molecular size with no evidence of adsorption. Investigation of other water soluble polymers is now in progress.