A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO STERIC EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY OF WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMERS

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) of water-soluble polymers is a rapidly growing area, especially with the introduction of high-performance columns. A review is presented of the state-of-the-art of aqueous SEC and a practical approach to methods development is outlined. Problems associated with aqueous SEC are reviewed in detail with emphasis on polyelectrolytes. A current listing of all commercially available packings for aqueous SEC is given along with brief descriptions of recently developed packings. Column calibration techniques for water-soluble polymers are briefly reviewed, including the use of a low-angle laser light-scattering detector. Finally, a selected bibliography of applications for SEC of water-soluble polymers is presented. 181 Refs.