FACTS AND IDEAS ON ACETONITRILE USAGE
• Acetonitrile is a 2% co-product of the Acrylonitrile production process.
• Acrylonitrile is a large volume raw material and used as a building block to make ABS plastic resins and synthetic fibers.
• Suppliers have reduced production of Acrylo and Aceto nitriles due to the economic slowdown in automotive and consumer segments.
Acetonitrile is a key solvent for many laboratories. It has become the preferred solvent in many methods in research and healthcare segments.
The shortage of Acetonitrile has caused many High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and other Chromatography operators to consider alternative methods. Fisher Scientific has outlined some key considerations and examples to keep in mind as you develop alternative solutions or methods.
Ideas for Reducing Your Consumption of Acetonitrile
I. Parameters to Consider:
a. Stationary Phase
i. Internal diameter of column
ii. Particle size
iii. Pore size
iv. Column Chemistry
b. Mobile Phase
i. Solvent
ii. Pump Pressure / Flow Rate
iii. Gradient Changes
iv. Mobile phase modifiers
II. Exploring Alternatives
a. Solvent Selection - HPLC grade Methanol and HPLC grade Isopropanol
b. Column Selection - one strategy to reduce solvent consumption is method transfer to columns with decreased particle size and dimensions. These can be used to speed up chromatography and are typically shorter, narrower columns so they use less solvent per sample.
c. Solvent Recovery/Saver Systems – allow operators to set specifications and then monitor the eluent stream. The system directs reusable solvent to a recovery bottle.
Please check with us for product offerings in each of the categories above and for updated information on this subject.