Stationary Phases: Specifications and Prices

Samples vaporized in sample injection ports are separated as a result of distribution equilibria between stationary and gaseous phases. There are many kinds of stationary phases ranging from non-polar (e.g., squalene) to polar (e.g., polyethyleneglycol). Samples and stationary phases that have similar polarities show strong affinities for each other with the result that samples are retained strongly on stationary phases. There are currently approximately 300 kinds of stationary phases for gas chromatography.
The characteristics required of GC stationary phases are shown below:

1. Must have low melting points and low vapor pressures at high temperatures in order to maintain liquid states during use. Furthermore, they must be heat resistant and heat stable.
2. Must be chemically stable at the required operating temperatures, possess long operating lifetimes, and display good reproducibility.
3. Must possess small mass transfer resistances.
4. Must not undergo chemical reactions with the components of analytical samples, and must promote rapid distribution equilibria.

Stationary Phase Polarity Table

McReynolds Constants

Choosing an appropriate stationary phase from among the many phases available is extremely difficult, and requires experience. McReynolds constants obtained under fixed conditions using a variety of compounds and arranged in order of polarity can be used as a guide to stationary phase selection. McReynolds constant tables are created by first finding the retention indices (I) for 10 compounds ranging from benzene to cis-hydrindane using a variety of stationary phases (stationary phase ratio: 20%) and an analytical temperature of 120℃. Differences (ΔI) between these retention indices and those found for the non-polar stationary phase Squalane are then calculated, and the sums for each stationary phase are listed in increasing order. In the table below we have listed values for representative stationary phases obtained using seven different compounds.

(1)Benzene (2)1-Butanol (3)2-Pentanone (4)Nitropropane (5)Pyridine (6)2-Methyl-2-Pentanol (7)2-Octyne

Stationary Phase	ΔI							Σ51 _	γ
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)	(7)
Kovats indices (I) (Squalane, 120℃)	653	590	627	652	699	690	841
Squalane	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1.945
Nujol (paraffin oil)	9	5	2	6	11	2	2	33	1.944
Apiezon M	31	22	15	30	40	12	10	138	1.920
Apiezon L	32	22	15	32	42	13	11	143	1.914
SF-96	12	53	42	61	37	31	21	205	1.788
SE-30	15	53	44	64	41	31	22	217	1.776
OV-1	16	55	44	65	42	32	23	222	1.766
DC-200	16	57	45	66	43	33	23	227	1.782
OV-101	17	57	45	67	43	33	23	229	1.771
Versilube F-50	19	57	48	69	47	36	23	240	1.811
DC-11	17	86	48	69	56	36	23	276	1.772
SF-52	32	72	65	98	67	44	36	334	1.798
OV-3	44	86	81	124	88	55	35	423	1.797
Dexsil 300GC	47	80	103	148	96	55	46	474	——
Fluorolube HG1200	51	68	114	144	118	68	53	495	1.799
OV-7	69	113	111	171	128	77	66	592	1.807
DC-550	74	116	117	178	135	81	72	620	1.823
Di(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate (DOS)	72	168	108	180	125	132	49	653	1.933
DC-710	107	149	153	228	190	107	98	827	1.817
Dioctyl　phthalate	92	186	150	236	167	143	66	831	1.902
POLY-1-110	115	194	122	204	202	152	55	837	——
OV-17	119	158	162	243	202	112	105	884	1.799
Ucon LB-550X	118	271	158	243	206	177	91	996	1.838
Span 80	97	266	170	216	268	107	66	1017	1.870
POLY-A-103	115	331	149	263	214	221	62	1072	——
OV-22	160	188	191	283	253	133	132	1075	1.763
POLY-A-101A	115	357	151	262	214	233	64	1099	——
Didecyl phthalate	136	255	213	320	235	201	101	1159	1.868
OV-25	178	204	208	305	280	144	147	1175	1.749
Polyphenylether (5 rings)	176	227	224	306	283	177	135	1216	1.845
Polyphenylether (6 rings)	182	233	228	313	293	181	136	1249	1.829
POLY-A-135	163	389	168	340	269	282	——	1329	——
Ucon 50HB-280X	177	362	227	351	302	252	130	1419	1.794
Tricresyl phosphate (TCP)	176	321	250	374	299	242	131	1420	1.832
DC OF-1	144	233	355	463	305	203	53	1500	1.619
OV-210	146	238	358	468	310	206	156	1520	1.616
Ucon 50HB-2000	202	394	253	392	341	277	147	1582	1.771
OV-330	222	391	273	417	368	284	158	1671	——
Ucon 50HB-5100	214	418	278	421	375	301	155	1706	1.754
Tween 80	227	430	283	438	396	310	——	1747	——
XE-60	204	381	340	493	367	289	120	1785	1.674
OV-225	228	269	338	492	386	282	150	1813	1.688
Triton X-305	262	467	314	488	430	336	183	1961	1.739
Quadrol	214	571	357	472	489	431	142	2103	1.719
Neopentyl glycol succinate (NPGS)	272	469	366	539	474	371	184	2120	1.683
lgepal CO990	298	508	345	540	475	366	205	2166	1.699
PEG 20M	322	536	368	572	510	387	221	2308	1.673
PEG 20M-TPA	321	537	367	573	520	387	220	2318	1.674
PEG 6000	322	540	369	577	512	390	222	2320	1.674
PEG 4000	325	551	375	582	520	399	224	2353	1.674
SILAR-5 CP	319	495	446	637	531	379	216	2428	——
XF-1150	308	520	470	669	528	401	174	2495	1.604
PEG 1000	347	607	418	626	589	449	240	2587	1.649
Ethylene glycol adipate	372	576	453	655	617	462	250	2673	1.618
Butane-1,4-diol succinate (BDS)	369	591	457	661	629	476	243	2707	1.625
Reoplex 400	364	619	449	647	671	482	245	2750	1.633
Carbowax 1540	371	639	453	666	641	479	255	2770	1.635
LAC-2-R-446	387	616	471	679	667	489	257	2820	1.612
EGSS-Y	391	597	493	693	661	469	261	2835	1.619
SILAR-7 CP	440	638	605	844	673	492	268	3200	——
ECNSS-M	421	690	581	803	732	548	259	3227	1.561
ECNSS-S	438	659	566	820	722	530	286	3205	——
Diglycerol	371	826	560	676	854	608	141	3287	1.806
EGSS-X	484	710	585	831	778	566	316	3388	1.551
SILAR-9CP	489	725	631	910	778	566	292	3536	——
Diethylene glycol succinate (DEGS)	499	751	593	840	860	595	323	3543	1.548
SILAR-10CP	523	757	659	942	801	584	298	3682	——
THEED	463	942	626	801	893	746	269	3725	1.550
Ethylene glycol succinate	537	787	643	903	889	633	348	3759	1.516
1,2,3-Tris(2-cyanoethoxy)-propane (TCEP)	593	857	752	1028	915	672	375	4145	1.509
Cyanoethylsucrose	647	919	797	1043	976	713	388	4382	1.463
N,N-Bis(2-cyanoethyl)-formamide	690	991	853	1110	1000	773	371	4644	1.593

Category of Stationary Phase

Category	Type	Name
Hydrocarbons	Paraffinic hydrocarbons	Apiezon L, squalane, hexatriacontane, n-hexadecane, n-dodecane
Halogen compounds	Fluorine-containing oils	Kel F oil no. 3, halocarbon oil, Fluorolube HG1200
Oxygenated compounds	Monoesters	Dibutyl maleate (DBM), dioctyl phthalate (DOP), dioctyl sebacate (DOS), dinonyl phthalate (DNP), Flexol 8N8
	Polyesters	FFAP, FON, Thermon-1000, Thermon-3000, 1,4-BDS, DEGS, DEGA, EGA, EGS, NGS, NGA
	Alcohols	Diglycerol, Hyprose SP-80, mannitol, undecanol
	Ethers (including polyesters)	Polyphenyl ether, bis(2-butoxyethyl)-phthalate
	Polyglycols	Polyethylene glycols, Ucon oils
Nitrogen compounds	Amides	Poly-A series, Versamid 900
	Amines	Quadrol, triethanolamine
	Nitriles	N,N-Bis(2-cyanoethyl)-formamide (BCEF), 1,2,3-Tris(2-cyanoethoxy)-propane (TCEP), β,β'-Oxydipropionitrile (ODPN)
	Nitro compounds, etc.	Alukaterge T, 4,4-azoxydianisol
Silicones	Methyl silicones	SE-30, DC-200, DC-11, DC-410, OV-1, UCW-98
	Methyl phenyl silicones	SE-52, OV-17, OV-3, OV-22, DC-550, DC-710
	Methyl phenyl vinyl silicone	SE-54
	Trifluoropropyl silicones	QF-1, OV-210
	Cyanoalkylmethyl silicones	XF-1150, OV-105 (propyl)
	Cyanopropylphenyl silicone	OV-225
	Other	OV-275, Dexsil series
Sulfur compounds		Dimethyl sulfide, polysulfones, Poly-S series
Phosphorous compounds	Phosphoesters	Tricresyl phosphate (TCP), trixylyl phosphate (TXP)
Salts, organic acids, chlorine compounds		Bentone 34

Stationary Phases: Specifications and Prices