Chromatography columns typically have narrow inlets and outlets compared to the column diameter because the larger column diameter increases the contact area and time between the phases. The transition between different diameters, typically accomplished using inert porous material, can cause decreased separation performance, add to pressure requirements, and add to column size and weight. This presents opportunities for improved column design.<br/><br/>Additive manufacturing techniques raise the possibility that porous stationary phase media can be fabricated in which the permeability can be arbitrarily specified in three dimensions. We are using optimization algorithms to design columns that uniformly distribute the mobile phase by spatially varying the stationary phase permeability. We build on prior work that aimed to design binary open or closed flow paths. By varying permeability in two or three dimensions, our designs achieve greater radial uniformity in transit time or retention time than one-dimensional designs such as a uniform porous frit.

Design of chromatography columns with 3D-graded permeability

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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