Beyond Chemistry: Choosing the Right HPLC Column for the Real World
Thursday, July 31st, 2025 at 2:00PM-3:00PM EDT
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Choosing an HPLC column isn’t just about picking a C18 or CN phase and hoping for the best. In this dynamic and insightful webinar, Dr. Lee Polite of Axion Labs teams up with MAC-MOD to take you beyond surface-level decisions and into the real-world factors that determine successful separations. Whether you’re troubleshooting poor resolution, limited by system pressure, or scaling up methods for speed and reproducibility—this session will clarify what really matters.

We’ll explore how stationary phase chemistry interacts with column architecture—focusing on critical yet often overlooked variables like particle size, surface area, carbon load, and the fundamental differences between totally porous and superficially porous particles. Dr. Polite will demystify how column design affects efficiency, back pressure, and method robustness, drawing from decades of hands-on experience and real-world lab scenarios.

Topics will include:
● When superficially porous particles outperform—and when they don’t
● Why surface area and diffusion path length matter for resolution
● How to match particle size with system pressure limitations
● Practical trade-offs between efficiency, speed, and loadability
● And how to make smart column choices that actually work in your lab

Whether you’re using conventional HPLC or UHPLC systems, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge to choose columns more confidently and avoid the trial-and-error approach that wastes time and budget. Perfect for chromatographers in pharmaceutical, environmental, forensic, and academic labs—or anyone who wants to improve separations without overcomplicating their methods.

Bonus: Access to a live Q&A with Dr. Polite and the MAC-MOD technical team.
Join us and bring your toughest column questions—we’ll bring the clarity.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Lee N. Polite is the founder and president of Axion Analytical Labs, a premier chromatography training and consulting firm based in Chicago. Since 1995, Axion has trained over 14,000 professionals across 17 countries and has provided services to every major pharmaceutical, chemical, and petroleum company in the U.S., along with key government agencies such as the FDA, DEA, EPA, and Homeland Security.

Dr. Polite earned his Ph.D. in chromatography under the mentorship of Dr. Harold McNair—one of the field’s founding figures—at Virginia Tech. He also holds an MBA in strategy and marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Polite has taught chromatography to professionals around the globe. He serves as the lead instructor for the American Chemical Society’s hands-on HPLC and GC training programs and teaches graduate-level chromatography at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Dr. Polite is known for his ability to demystify complex chromatographic theory and connect it to real-world lab challenges. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and technical books, and his Chicago-based lab houses over 20 state-of-the-art chromatographs used for both training and applied research.

Engaging, practical, and deeply experienced, Dr. Polite brings both clarity and credibility to any
discussion on chromatography.