The performance of a gel purification column directly affects the quality of sample purification. Many standard methods specify the use of Bio-beads S-X3 gel with a particle size of 200–400 mesh as the column packing. Depending on the sample matrix, the filling solvent may be dichloromethane or a 1:1 mixture of ethyl acetate and cyclohexane.
According to US EPA SW-845 (Method 3640A) verification of purification capability, the gel purification column should be packed with 70 g of Bio-beads S-X3 gel. It is required to separate calibration solutions including corn oil, phthalates, methoxychlor, dinaphthyl ether, and sulfur, achieving a chromatographic peak resolution of ≥85%.
High-resolution stainless steel gel purification columns are packed using medium-pressure one-time molding technology. These columns solve many issues associated with traditional glass columns, offering fast purification, high column efficiency, excellent inter-column reproducibility, and the ability to meet experimental requirements even at smaller sizes. They greatly save experiment time and reduce organic solvent usage. Using this type of column, separation of EPA calibration solutions takes only 22 minutes, significantly shortening sample processing time and conserving solvents. It demonstrates outstanding advantages in food testing, agricultural product analysis, grain and oil testing, and environmental monitoring.