Gel Preparation and Column Packing

Modern SEC media require little preparation before packing except for those supplied as dry powders. These materials must be swollen fully, preferably in hot buffer solution, before packing. In all cases the gel suspension must be at the temperature at which the column will be packed and used. 

The quality of the column packing is crucially important to the suceess of size exclusion chromatography, and special care should be exercised when packing large diameter columns. 

A well packed and properly cared for column will give good results for many runs, repaying the time and trouble in its preparation a poorly packed column will never give a good result. 

---

When purchasing GPC/SEC columns it is imperative to realize that no manufacturer has a technical edge on another. The products are analogous, with the primary difference being price. When one buys a GPC/SEC column, it is the service of gel preparation and column packing that is really purchased. We have provided the formulae and directions for the preparation of GPC gels because we do not want our customers to pay for a service that they themselves can do for less. 

---