Mass transfer properties of monoliths

Abstract

The mass transfer properties of polyglycidylmethacrylate–ethylenedimethacrylate monolithic ion-exchangers (convective interaction media disks) were evaluated. As a reference material, the particulate ion-exchanger Source 30 was selected. The model proteins lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, and IgG were loaded at different concentrations and velocities. The mass transfer zones obtained with the monoliths were affected by neither the linear flow velocity nor the protein concentration in the mobile phase. The reduced height equivalent to one theoretical plate (HETP) of monoliths were independent of the reduced velocity. This was not the case for the particulate material.

Keywords:

• Proteins
• Monoliths
• Ion-exchanger
• Two-film model
• Mass transfer

Acknowledgments

The work has been supported in part by the EUREKA project FAST 1 and a grant from the Austrian Research Foundation and OCTAPHARMA, Vienna. We want to thank Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Uppsala, Sweden and BIA Separations Ljubljana, Slovenia for providing the chromatography material.