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Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) Machines

Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) machines, which are also known as Centrifugal Droplet Countercurrent Chromatography (CDCCC) instruments or hydrostatic CCC machines, are an evolution of DCCC instrumentation.

These machines consisting of a series of plates that form a drum like rotor spin on a single axis. Each of the plates has a pattern of chambers and channels set into it that forms one single continuous column. When the rotor is spun then a constant hydrostatic force is created in each chamber. It is this force that holds the liquid stationary phase in place within the column.

This design of rotor necessitates the use of two rotary seals, one on either end of the rotor at the inlet and outlet points. Users of CPC machines are often frustrated by problems by leaks at the rotary seal. The performance of this CPC equipment far exceeds DCCC due to using centrifugal force rather than just gravity and reduces separation times to 3 to 4 hours typically.

Descending mode operation in CPC machines, where the aqueous phase is mobile, is equivalent to reverse phase operation in hydrodynamic CCC instruments. Ascending mode in CPC machines, where organic phase mobile, is equivalent to normal phase operation in hydrodynamic CCC instruments.