IonPac^®  CP1 Na+ Form and CP2 H+ Form Cation Polisher Columns are designed for removal of metallic contaminants and other cations such as calcium and magnesium from the sample stream while performing anion analysis. The Cation Polisher Columns improve the performance of ion shromatography systems, particularly with phosphate analysis in the presence of metallic contaminants. High levels of metals or cations in samples can be retained on the guard/analytical columns or the suppressor, which can lead to performance issues such as poor peak shapes or poor recoveries for some anions such as phosphate. The Cation Polisher Columns address this potential precipitation issue and aid in extending column and suppressor lifetimes for anion analysis and when the matrix ions contain multivalent cations. 

In some cases the Cation Polisher Columns aid removal of matrix cations during anion analysis with sample preconcentration. The matrix cations can elute species of interest from the concentrator column and lead to poor peak shapes and recovery. Removing the matrix cations using the Cation Polisher Column enables good chromatographic performance.

The CP1 Na+ Form (6 x 16 mm) column is a cation exchange column in the sodium form and packed in a low pressure format. It is specifically designed for autosampler operation. The void volume of this column is approximately 250 µL.

The CP2 H+ Form (9 x 24 mm) column is a higher capacity version in the hydronium form, and has a void volume of approximately 825 µL. The CP2 Polisher Column is recommended for large-volume sample preconcentration applications using an external pump. The Cation Polisher Columns can be regenerated off-line approximately every 2-3 months (depending on the level of contamination and usage).