Exploring the Benefits of Electrical Asymmetrical Field Flow Fractionation

A new white paper from Postnova Analytics aims to demonstrate how its novel Electrical and Asymmetrical Field Flow Fractionation (EAF4) technology can be used to separate a wide variety of nano-sized materials while simultaneously determining surface charge.

Drawing upon this proprietary technology, the Postnova Analytics EAF2000 combines the principle of Electrical and Asymmetrical Field Flow Fractionation in a single platform. In an EAF2000 system, Electrical and Cross Flow Fields are applied together across the FFF channel enabling separation by size and simultaneous measurement of particle charge based on electrophoretic mobility. Combining these two powerful separation techniques in a single platform could open the door to characterizing complex samples that have previously proven difficult. The EAF2000 system is designed to be able to separate and characterize complex proteins, antibodies and viruses as well as charged nanoparticles, colloids and polymers.

While traditional Flow Field Flow Fractionation instruments are well known to provide particle size or molar mass distribution data, using an EAF2000 system allows identifying charge heterogeneities which might be present inside the different size and molar mass fractions. As particle or molecule charge plays a large role in many applications, including protein aggregation, polymer flocculation, and particle agglomeration, the EAF2000 aims to forge new ways for a significantly better understanding of these phenomena and to help establish more efficient product development and QC processes.