Ion Chromatography

Ion chromatography (IC) is a similar technique to HPLC except that the detector of choice is usually a conductivity detector. IC is well suited for the analysis of a variety of inorganic and organic anions and cations. There is an additional dimension to an experiment using the technique as a result of the need to deal with changes in the ionic strength of the solution as the analyte materials are exchanged.

2009 worldwide IC industrial distribution.

The United States and Europe account for the majority of the total IC demand. Europe’s increase in demand is expected to be fueled by the EU’s RoHS initiative. Other sources for growth include biodiesel, agriculture/food (including food safety), and life science markets such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industries.

IC has a stable installed base that supports a growing aftermarket. This is especially true with innovative products that have hit the market to improve ion chromatography performance and overall lab productivity.

Improvements in instrument design and performance have added life to the IC market. The availability of instruments from low-end, application-specific models to value-added instruments, and even, high performance IC-MS systems, allow IC vendors to offer unique solutions for any individual laboratory. In addition, enhanced software capabilities coupled with intelligent IC systems have stretched the boundaries of functionality and ease-of-use to an already computer-savvy group of end-users.

The general and environmental testing industry accounts for about 29% of the market demand. The chemical and the pharmaceutical industries combine for 30% of the worldwide IC demand, while the agriculture/food industry accounts for 12%. Even though the top four industries account for the majority of the IC market, the remaining industries, albeit in varying degrees, have utility for ion chromatography.

The foregoing data was extracted from SDi’s Global Assessment Report, 11th Edition. For more information, contact Glenn Cudiamat, VP of Research Services, Strategic Directions International, Inc., 6242 Westchester Parkway, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, tel. (310) 641-4982, fax (310) 641-8851, e-mail:cudiamat@strategic-directions.com