DETERMINATION OF MONOMERIC SUGAR AND CARBOXYLIC-ACIDS BY ION-EXCLUSION CHROMATOGRAPHY

The influence of the temperature and the eluent (proton) concentration on the retention and separation of thirty organic compounds, including sugar acids, lactones, hydroxy acids, mono acids and dicarboxylic acids, on the Merck cation- exchange column Polyspher OA-HY was studied by applying ion-exchange chromatographic methods and HPLC instrumentation. The different responses of the various groups of compounds to changes of the chromatographic parameters were used to select the optimized separation conditions. A combination of two parameter sets (I: temperature of 45 degrees C, sulphuric acid eluent concentration of 0.01 N, flow-rate of 0.5 ml min(-1); II: 10 degrees C, 0.1 N H2SO4, same flow-rate) was found to enhance the chromatographic versatility and substance identification. Five-point linear calibrations were conducted under both conditions, and the respective relative standard deviations, mean percentage errors and detection limits were determined.