MOLECULAR SIEVE CHROMATOGRAPHY.

Molecular sieve chromatography (MSC), also often called gel permeation chromatography, gel exclusion chromatography, gel filtration, or simply gel chromatography, is a form of partition chromatography where molecules are separated according to their effective size in solution using matrices with defined porosities. This concept is illustrated schematically. The widespread use of MSC for separation of polymeric material, especially protein mixtures, can be attributed to several factors including relatively low cost, simplicity of operation and ability to process relatively large amounts of material. The objectives of the chapter are to provide a short discussion of some of the theoretical and practical aspects of MSC.