Foshan Weller Moisture Proof Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the most experienced manufacturers and suppliers of silica gel for column chromatography in China. If you're going to wholesale high quality silica gel for column chromatography, welcome to get free sample and discount information from our factory. We also accept customized orders.

China Silica Gel For Column Chromatography manufacturers and suppliers since 2009, with our own factory. Accept wholesale, OEM, ODM orders. Provide custom solutions.

Silica Gel For Column Chromatography Manufacturers

Parameter	Description
Product Name	Silica Gel for Column Chromatography
Particle Size	From 35 to 75 microns or 100 to 200 mesh.
Pore Size	Commonly 60 Å (angstroms) for general applications; It can be larger (e.g., 100 Å or 150 Å) for specialized applications.
Surface Area	Around 500–600 m²/g, providing high adsorption capacity.
pH Range	6–7 in water suspension; suitable for organic and aqueous solvents.
Purity	High purity silica gel to minimize contaminants.
Moisture Content	Less than 2% for dry silica gel.
Application	Used for separating and purifying mixtures based on polarity and molecular size differences.
Form	Available in powder or granular form.
Color	White or off-white, indicating its inert nature.

This silica gel for column chromatography is a highly porous and amorphous form of silicon dioxide. Its exceptional hygroscopicity is a fundamental property that directly determines its activity and, consequently, its performance as an adsorbent in separating chemical compounds. Controlling this moisture content is critical for reproducible chromatographic results.

Performance

The equilibrium water content of this silica gel for column chromatography is highly dependent on the ambient relative humidity.

At 20% Relative Humidity, silica gel can hold approximately 3% of its dry weight in water.
At 50% Relative Humidity, the water content rises to approximately 6%.
At 80% Relative Humidity, the water content can exceed 20%, significantly deactivating the silica.

In a typical lab environment (40-60% RH), exposed silica gel will naturally equilibrate to a water content of 5-10%.

Water Content and Activity Grade (Brockmann Scale)

In chromatography, the activity of silica gel is formally classified using the Brockmann Scale. This scale directly correlates water content to adsorption activity, with lower grades indicating higher activity.

Activity Grade	Water Content (Wt.%)	Effect on Performance
I	0%	Maximum activity. Excellent for adsorbing non-polar compounds but may cause irreversible adsorption of sensitive compounds.
II	5%	High activity. The most commonly used grade for a wide range of standard separations.
III	15%	Intermediate activity. Suitable for separating moderately polar compounds.
IV	25%	Low activity. Used for separating very polar compounds.
V	38%	Very low activity. Essentially inactive and not useful for adsorption chromatography.

Critical Data Point: A change of just 1-2% in water content can significantly alter the retention factor (Rf value) of compounds during a separation, highlighting the need for strict control.

Activation and Deactivation

Activation (Driving off water): To achieve the highest activity (Grade I), silica gel for column chromatography must be heated in an oven at 105-120°C for 1-2 hours. This process reduces the water content to <1%.
Deactivation (Adding controlled water): To precisely achieve a specific, reproducible activity level (e.g., Grade II with 5% water), a calculated amount of water is added to the silica gel for column chromatography (e.g., 5g of water per 100g of silica) and thoroughly mixed. This is superior to simply letting it equilibrate with air.

Silica gel (SiO₂·nH₂O) is the most common stationary phase for adsorption chromatography. Its surface is covered with silanol (Si-OH) groups, making it highly polar and acidic. It separates compounds based on their differing affinity (adsorption) to the polar stationary phase versus the mobile solvent phase (eluent). It is the workhorse of purification in organic synthesis and natural product isolation.

This silica gel for column chromatography is ideally suited for purifying neutral or acidic, stable, organic compounds that are soluble in organic solvents.

Applications

Application Scenario / Category	Suitable Compounds / Characteristics	Notes & Considerations of Silica Gel for Column Chromatography
By Polarity	Medium to low polarity organic compounds.	This is the classic application. Separation follows the principle of "like attracts like." Less polar compounds elute first.
By Polarity	Examples: Hydrocarbons, esters, ketones, aldehydes, aromatic compounds.	The eluent system (e.g., Hexane/Ethyl Acetate) must be optimized based on compound polarity.
By Compound Type	Organic reaction mixtures.	Used to isolate crude products, intermediates, and remove by-products or catalyst residues. Essential for synthetic chemists.
	Natural product extracts.	Widely used to isolate pure compounds from plant or microbial extracts, e.g., alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes.
	Lipids, steroids.	Well-suited for separating these low-to-medium polarity biomolecules.
By Stability	Acid-stable compounds.	CRITICAL: Standard silica gel is slightly acidic. It is excellent for compounds stable under acidic conditions.
By Stability	Examples: Most neutral organics, carboxylic acids.	Acid-labile compounds may decompose; alternatives like neutral alumina should be considered.
Unsuitable Cases (Limitations)	Acid-sensitive (acid-labile) compounds.	May undergo decomposition, dehydration, or rearrangement on the column.
	Examples: Some aldehydes, acetals, enols, organometallics.	Use neutral alumina or reverse-phase silica instead.
	Strongly basic compounds.	Basic compounds can bind irreversibly to the acidic silanol groups, causing tailing or low recovery.
	Examples: Many amines, some alkaloids.	The sample can be neutralized, or basic alumina or reverse-phase (C18) silica can be used.
	Highly water-soluble compounds.	e.g., Sugars, amino acids, polyols. They adsorb too strongly to normal-phase silica and won't elute properly.
		Reverse-Phase (C18) or ion-exchange chromatography are preferred methods.
	Metal organic compounds.	May react with the silica surface.

If you are interested in our silica gel for column chromatography, please feel free to contact us !

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About Us

Foshan Weller Moisture-Proof Technology Co., Ltd. was established in 2009. We are a professional manufacturer and supplier in China, with an factory of over 8,000 square meters.

Product Range	moisture-proof, mildew-proof, odor-proof and rust-proof products.
Applications	designed for residential, commercial and industrial use. used for product packaging, transportation, and warehousing in different industries.
Service	Accept wholesale, OEM, ODM orders; Provide custom solutions.
Certifications	SGS, RoHS, REACH, FDA, DMF; SIMT,MIL-D-3464E, DIN55473, ISO9001, ISO14001, BSCI.

Product Details and Summary

Product Type	silica gel desiccant (moisture absorbing material)
Classification	1. non-indicating silica gel 2. indicating silica gel (1) blue indicating silica gel (blue to pink; containing cobalt chloride) (2) orange indicating silica gel (orange to green; cobalt free and environmentally friendly)
Indicator Function	You can choose silica gel with color indication function, to achieve a more convenient reminder function.
Main Components	silicon dioxide (SiO₂); Content ≥ 98%
Appearance	granular, spherical, powdered, beads crystals, sand, etc.
Colors	transparent, translucent, white, blue, or orange
Particle Size	1-3mm, 2-4mm, 3-5mm; or custom sizes
Bulk Density	approximately 700-800 kg/m³
Surface Area	700-800 m²/g
Pore Volume	0.4-0.8 cm³/g
Applicable Humidity Level	20%-90% RH
Operating Temperature Range	-40 ℃ to 200 ℃ (long-term stability)
Maximum Moisture Absorption Rate	30%-40% of its own weight
Physical Properties	stable internal structure. no expansion or liquefaction. not easily crushed. dust-free.
pH	4-8
Chemical Properties	chemically inert; It will not chemically react with the inside products.
Human-Friendly Feature	odorless and non-toxic. It meets food grade standards.
Environmentally Friendly Feature	using packaging paper and materials that are biodegradable within two years. It can be discarded for use as fertilizer.
Regeneration Temperature	80℃-150 ℃ ( It can be reused after heating for 2-4 hours.)
Packaging Material	breathable material with strong sealing properties. You can customize packaging materials according to your needs.
Printing	You can custom printed text, pictures, logo for better brand images.
Packaging Capacity	1g, 2g, 5g, 10g, 50g, 100g, 500g, 1000g; or custom capacity
Storage	It should be tightly sealed and stored in a cool, dry place; away from direct sunlight and chemical pollution.
Certifications	SGS, RoHS, REACH, FDA, DMF; SIMT,MIL-D-3464E, DIN55473, ISO9001, ISO14001, BSCI.