Published work, now freely available on the Malvern Instruments website, shows that the Viscotek TDAmax gel permeation/size exclusion chromatography (GPC/SEC) system is an information-rich, time-efficient analytical solution for the comprehensive characterization of complex food ingredients and additives based on polysaccharides. The work by Dr Gerhard Heinzmann and Dr Bernd Tartsch is detailed in a paper "Alginates, Chitosanes and Xanthans - Characterisation of Food Ingredients by GPC/SEC with Triple Detection". 

The Viscotek TDAmax sets the benchmark for GPC/SEC, with a fully integrated triple detector array that includes a revolutionary low angle light scattering detector (LALS), four capillary differential viscometer and refractive index detector.  

Using GPC/SEC, passing a sample through a series of carefully specified packed columns separates it on the basis of hydrodynamic size. Single or multiple detectors analyze the resulting fractions. The design and selection of the detectors dictates how much information can be gathered during each experiment. The TDAmax detector array provides absolute molecular weight without extrapolation or correction, molecular size, and intrinsic viscosity, as well as information on structure, conformation, aggregation and branching. Adding an additional UV/Vis detector, creates an integrated tetra detector array ideal for copolymer characterization.