In HPLC, particulates and microbial growth in mobile phase buffers and samples can damage expensive HPLC equipment such as pumps, valves, columns and detectors. They can also lead to erratic analytical results. Pre-filtering samples and mobile phases prior to analysis can help prevent column and frit blockage, abnormally high operating pressures, and can undue wear on valve and injector seals.
Syringe filters are commonly used to pre-filter samples with volumes ranging from 1-100 mL because they can easily attach to any syringe. The sample is pushed through the syringe filter membrane which traps particulates, resulting in a contaminant and particulate free sample.
Application / Sample* | Recommended Filter** | First Alternative |
---|---|---|
General GC and LC | RC | PTFE |
Aggressive or Pure Organic Solvents | PTFE | RC |
High Particulate Loads | GF/NY | GF + RC |
Dissolution Testing | GF/NY | RC |
Ion Chromatography | RC | PES |
Trace Metals (ICP-MS, AAS) | RC | PES |
Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) | RC | PES |
Tissue Cultures, Media, Buffers | GF/CA | PES |
* Removal of high particulate matter with a glass fiber prefilter is critical before any drug, tox, or dirty environmental sample is filtered to ensure the highest syringe filter membrane performance.
** For high load and particulate-laden samples you may consider placing a Glass Fiber (GF) prefilter, either integrated with the membrane as one unit (Phenex-GF/NY or -GF/CA) or in series with the membrane syringe filter of your choice. Generally, 0.45 µm porosity filters are used to remove particulates from samples and mobile phase solutions. For sterile-filtration, a 0.20 µm porosity filter can be used.
Type | Document Title |
---|---|
Brochures | Sample Preparation Accessories |
Guide | 2024 Phenomenex Catalog |
Guide | Sample Preparation Made Simple |
Brochures | Sample Preparation Made Simple Overview |
Guide | Sample Preparation Reference Manual & Users Guide |
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