What is ion chromatography (IC)?
Ion chromatography (IC) is a chemical separation technique that uses a chromatography column containing an ion exchange resin to separate ions in solution according to their charge and size.
The ion chromatography process involves passing a liquid sample through a column filled with ion exchange resin. Positively or negatively charged ions are retained on the resin depending on their charge and affinity for the resin. The ions are then released from the resin using a buffer solution containing ions of opposite charge.
Ion chromatography is widely used in the fields of analytical chemistry, biochemistry and the environment for the analysis of inorganic ions such as metal ions, anions such as nitrates, sulphates, chlorides and phosphates, as well as for the analysis of charged organic molecules such as amino acids, peptides and proteins.
Ion chromatography can also be used to determine the concentration of different ions in a solution, and can be used to analyse the quality of water, soil and food. It is also used in the pharmaceutical and food industries to guarantee the purity and quality of finished products.