Selection and Combination of Purification Techniques

The optimum selection and combination of purification techniques for Capture, Intermediate Purification and Polishing is crucial for an efficient purification process. 

Every technique offers a balance between resolution, capacity, speed and recovery. 

Minimise sample handling Minimise number of steps Use different techniques at each step 

Goal Fastest route to a product of required purity. 

For any chromatographic separation each different technique will offer different performance with respect to recovery, resolution, speed and capacity. A technique can be optimised to focus on one of these parameters, for example resolution, or to achieve the best balance between two parameters, such as speed and capacity. A separation optimised for one of these parameters will produce results quite different in appearance from those produced using the same technique, but focussed on an alternative parameter. See, for example, the results shown on page 49 where ion exchange is used for a capture and for a polishing step. 

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