Frit for high pressure liquid chromatography

摘要

A frit (44) includes a porous support structure having a plurality of void spaces, where a plurality of secondary particles (46) are filled in the void spaces, the secondary particles (46) being dimensioned with respect to the void spaces such that the frit (44) retains packing materials with diameters of less than about 2.5 microns. Preferably one or more frits (44) are received in a high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) chromatographic column, where the column includes fittings and filter assemblies for receiving frits (44) at its inlet and outlet. The frit (44) can be constructed from a porous support structure with void spaces or pores that are filled with secondary particles (46) smaller those used to manufacture the support. The particles (46) contained in the void spaces are large enough to be retained by the support, but small enough to create a finer network of interconnected channels within the support's void spaces that are capable of retaining sub-2.5 micrometer particles.

主权项

1. A frit comprising:
a porous support structure produced from sintered irregularly shaped powder particles about 45 to 100 micrometers in size, the porous support structure having a media grade between about 0.5 and about 10, and defining a plurality of void spaces; and a plurality of spherical particles no more than about 5 micrometers in size sintered within the porous support structure to each other, to the porous support structure surrounding the void spaces, or both, the spherical particles defining a secondary pore network within the void spaces sufficient to retain packing materials with diameters of less than about 2.5 microns within the frit, wherein the void spaces are filled with the plurality of spherical particles such that the frit has a density of at least 50% by volume.