High performance liquid chromatography column Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse PAH

The Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse PAH chromatographic column is designed for the separation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a class of compounds that are considered priority environmental pollutants and are subject to mandatory control in water, soil and food products. The column provides high resolution when separating all 16 target PAHs included in the EPA 610 method. Unlike the standard monomeric C18 phases, an octadecylsilane polymer layer is used here. The ordered structure of this layer allows the column to distinguish between flat and bulk molecules, which is extremely important for separating condensed aromatic systems with varying degrees of curvature. Despite the presence of a polymer layer, the sorbent is based on ultrapure silica gel, which provides excellent peak shapes and high efficiency. The sorbent consists of spherical, fully porous particles with a pore size of 95 Angstroms, a specific surface area of 160 square meters per gram, and a high carbon loading of 14 percent. A pore size of 95 Angstroms was chosen as optimal for the retention and separation of PAH molecules with a molecular weight of up to 300 Da. There is no endcapping — this is done specifically to preserve the ability of the phase layer to recognize flat molecules and distinguish them from bulk isomers. The column is available in a range of particle sizes. The 5 and 3.5 micrometer particle versions can withstand pressures up to 400 bar and are designed for standard high-performance liquid chromatography devices. The RRHT modifications with 1.8 micrometer particles are designed for pressures up to 600 bar, which allows for faster analysis without loss of resolution. The 1.8 micrometer RRHD versions also withstand pressures up to 1,200 bar and are optimized for ultra-high performance liquid chromatography systems. The column is compatible with mobile phases in the pH range from 2 to 8 and is stable at temperatures up to 60 degrees Celsius at pH from 2 to 6 or up to 40 degrees at pH from 6 to 8. The standard geometry includes internal diameters from 2.1 to 4.6 millimeters and lengths from 30 to 250 millimeters. Protective cartridges are available to extend the life of the analytical columns. The column is classified by the USP as L1. Typical applications include environmental monitoring of waters and soils, food safety control, analysis of petroleum products, as well as separation of carotenes and other compounds where molecular shape selectivity is important.