Millipore offers more hydrophilic PTFE membranes

Millipore, a maker of purification systems used in drug manufacturing, has expanded its range of hydrophilic Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes, enabling it to offer filters for virtually all solvents, acids, and alkaline solutions.

The new membrane filters, comprising the US firm's Omnipore series, are available as 13 mm, 25 mm, 47 mm, 90 mm and 142 mm cut disks in a range of pore sizes from 0.1-10 µm.

They join Millipore's LCR membrane, also hydrophilic but used in HPLC solvent filtration applications.

Millipore's hydrophilic PTFE membranes are optimised for low drug and protein binding with excellent throughput in typical aqueous and solvent sample preparation.

This leads to high sample recoveries and low extractables, optimising sample analysis.

Applications of the membranes include natural product screening, aqueous solubility testing and total drug analysis.

"The cost of the new membranes is lower than the LCR membrane," Vivek Parachur, Millipore's product manager for general filtration, told In-PharmaTechnologist.com.

"Obviously the pharma industry is extremely regulated so the membrane used with every application has to be validated but the results are excellent."

Millipore also offers a line of hydrophobic PTFE membranes, both supported (Fluoropore membrane) and unsupported (Mitex membrane).

Hydrophobic PTFE membranes are recommended for the broadest chemical resistance and, because they are designed for extended sample incubation times and the lowest extractables, they are ideal for NCE cleavage and cleanup.

They are also suitable for in-plate protein precipitation and sample recovery following in-plate compound cleavage from solids or beads.

PTFE is very non-reactive, so it is resistant to reactive chemicals and can be used with a wide range of solvents.

It has become the material of choice where low friction, high durability, excellent thermal resistance and chemical inertness characteristics are needed.