The application of packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for the separation of polar analytes is reviewed. A comparison is drawn between the separation of polar and non-polar analytes on open-tubular column SFC. The different column materials used in packed column SFC are considered. The need for modifiers and additives to the carbon dioxide eluent for packed column separations is discussion and the influence of the instrumentation on the development of the method is described. The application of packed column SFC to a wide range of structure types of acidic, neutral and basic analytes and of chiral analytes is reviewed and the effect of the conditions are compared. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.