Ion chromatography (IC) is a technique in which ions are separated based on their interactions with a resin and an eluent (known as the stationary and mobile phase respectively). These phases change between a cation-attracting column and an anion-attracting column.
Samples are pumped into a chromatographic column that contains an ion exchange medium to separate the ionic speeds in the sample with respect to their inherent physiochemical properties. IC instruments can utilize a variety of detectors to ascertain the retention times of separated analytes. The most common detector type for IC applications is the conductivity detector. To ensure high sensitivity, the IC instrument must also compensate for background detector signal coming from the mobile phase. A properly configured IC instrument can produce excellent quality results in the ppb to ppm concentration range.
Ion chromatography using IC standards is a key tool for pharmaceutical applications as it is extremely
