Application Note
USD 3072
Packing a Chromatography Column Using
a PadMixer® System
Mixing system: PadMixer 1000 system
Mixing biocontainer: 200 L
Application mixing type: Solid-liquid
The PadMixer system is a scalable single-use mixing system. The heart of this mixer
is an innovative top-mounted mixing paddle that allows effective and uniform mixing
in demanding applications, such as preparation of contained high-solids solutions or
mixing of high-viscosity liquids.
Introduction
Mixing large quantities of a solid and a liquid, such as while preparing a chromatography
sorbent slurry, can be challenging for single-use mixing systems. Often, the force needed
to suspend the solid can lead to stalling of the impeller.
In this experiment, a PadMixer 1000 system was used to prepare a chromatography sorbent
slurry, the slurry was packed into a column, and then the performance of the column was
assessed. The objective was to demonstrate that the paddle impeller is able to suspend
large loads of solid without stalling, and that slurry uniformity is sufficient to ensure good
column performance.
Experimental
A 200 L mixing biocontainer was filled with 40 L of chromatography sorbent, and then
approximately 120 L of 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.5) were added to the slurry.
The sorbent was then allowed to settle for approximately 72 hours.
After settling, the slurry was re-suspended by the PadMixer system at 30 rpm mix speed
and 9º mix angle. The sorbent was entirely re-suspended within 5 minutes. The slurry
was then pumped at 15 L/minute, using a diaphragm pump, from the bottom drain of the
biocontainer into the chromatography column (a 400 mm ID acrylic tube, packing height
20 cm). As the slurry was pumped, the PadMixer system was run at 30 rpm to keep the
sorbent in a uniform suspension.
Once packed and conditioned, the column’s performance was assessed by a Height
Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate (HETP) determination. After completion of the test, the
slurry was pumped back out of the column and into the mixing biocontainer for storage
and subsequent reuse. The containment provided by the biocontainer ensures a low
contamination risk for the longest possible sorbent life.
Results
Figure 1 demonstrates that the column achieved the desired efficiency, comparable to that from traditional packing
methods. The re-suspension time was less than 5 minutes, and at no time during the mixing cycle did the paddle
impeller stall or hesitate.
Figure 1
Column Performance
Pall Test Pack 1 cm Ceramic Hyper D
AU
2% Acetone Peak
Volume
Bed height
Speed
Direction
% CV
Type and conc
Running liquid
200 MM
150 cm/hr
down
3
2% Acetone
0.5 M NaCl, 10 mM phos
N
HETP (cm)
P/M
663
0.0302
3313
As/Af
0.96
Conclusions
The paddle mixing action of the PadMixer 1000 system is capable of high mixing efficiency without stalling in high-load
solid-liquid applications. When used to prepare chromatography sorbent slurry and pack a column, the resulting column
efficiency is comparable to traditional packing methodologies. The mixing system is entirely closed, ensuring protection of
the sorbent from possible contamination that can reduce its operational life.
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E-mail us at allegro@pall.com
Corporate Headquarters
Port Washington, NY, USA
+1.800.717.7255 toll free (USA)
+1.516.484.5400 phone
biopharm@pall.com e-mail
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Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico,
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Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Venezuela. Distributors in all major
industrial areas of the world. To locate the Pall office or distributor nearest you, visit www.pall.com/contact.
European Headquarters
Fribourg, Switzerland
+41 (0)26 350 53 00 phone
LifeSciences.EU@pall.com e-mail
The information provided in this literature was reviewed for accuracy at the time of publication. Product data may
be subject to change without notice. For current information consult your local Pall distributor or contact Pall directly.
Asia-Pacific Headquarters
Singapore
+65 6389 6500 phone
sgcustomerservice@pall.com e-mail
© 2015, Pall Corporation. Pall,
and PadMixer are trademarks of Pall Corporation. ® indicates a trademark
registered in the USA and TM indicates a common law trademark. Filtration.Separation.Solution. is a service
mark of Pall Corporation.
7/15, PDF, GN15.6269
USD3072