Work published by Viscotek details the TDAmax gel permeation/size exclusion chromatography (GPC/SEC) system for the characterisation of complex food ingredients and additives based on polysaccharides.
The Viscotek TDAmax has a fully integrated triple-detector array that includes a low-angle light-scattering detector (LALS), four capillary differential viscometers and a refractive index detector.
Work by Dr Gerhard Heinzmann and Dr Bernd Tartsch is detailed in a paper 'Alginates, Chitosanes and Xanthans - Characterisation of Food Ingredients by GPC/SEC with Triple Detection', published in Agrofood Industry Hi-tech (Vol 20 No.
4, 2009).
The TDAmax detector array provides absolute molecular weight without extrapolation or correction, molecular size, and intrinsic viscosity, as well as information on structure, conformation, aggregation and branching.
Adding an additional UV/Vis detector creates an integrated tetra detector array suitable for copolymer characterisation.
The performance characteristics of a range of food ingredients depend on their molecular weight and structure.
It is also possible that low-molecular-weight fractions in some ingredients may be harmful to human health and it is therefore important to confirm that these have been removed.
Many food ingredients have large molecular sizes, however, and this can present a challenge in accurately determining molecular weight distribution.
The research detailed in the paper shows how TDAmax can meet this challenge.
