Recent Advances in Ion Chromatography

The chromatographic separation and quantitation of highly ionic species was a difficult problem until recently. Ion chromatography (IC) represents a solution to this analytical problem.

Nonsuppressed IC offers a new alternative method to practitioners of IC. Since a suppressor column is not necessary for this method, the time required to regenerate the suppressor column is saved. Better chromatographic efficiency is achieved with the suppressor removed. Peak reversal, a problem associated with the suppressor column, is also eliminated. The sensitivity for Cl⁻ (0.5 ppm) is comparable to that of conventional suppressed IC. The sensitivities for NO₃⁻ (1.25 ppm) and SO₄²⁻ (1.25 ppm) are only slightly less than those observed for the conventional technique.