Handbook of Size Exclusion Chromatography and Related ...

Preface to the Second
Edition
Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), or size exclusion chromatography (SEC),
has evolved steadily since its development in the 1960s. New columns, detectors,
and methodologies have been introduced at a timely pace to push the limits of
technology. In the most recent Waters International GPC 2003 and ISPAC-16
Symposium (Baltimore, Maryland, June 7–12, 2003), more than 80 very
interesting papers were presented by scientists from all over the world. This
demonstrates that the interest in determining the molecular weight and molecular
weight distribution of polymers accurately, precisely, and efficiently has remained
high throughout the years.
The first edition of the Handbook of Size Exclusion Chromatography was
published in 1995 to fill the need for a book dedicated to the practical applications
of SEC. To better serve the practitioners in SEC, the publisher took the initiative to
commission this second edition, to incorporate the important developments in
SEC in the years since 1995. Most chapters in this new edition have been updated
and six new chapters have been added. Therefore, the title has been expanded to
Handbook of Size Exclusion Chromatography and Related Techniques to reflect
these significant additions.
The credit for this book undoubtedly goes to all the contributors. By
spending weeks of their own time to prepare their respective chapters, they have
demonstrated one of the finest attributes of professional scientists—commitment
© 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.