High-purity porous alumina
50-100 μm
>150 m²/g
pH 4.0 / 7.0 / 9.5
Normal-phase adsorption cleanup
Compatible alternative to Waters Sep-Pak Alumina
Availability: In Stock
Alumina SPE Cartridge
Description
Three Alumina Phases – Three Selectivity Profiles
Alumina SPE cartridges use porous aluminum oxide as the stationary phase for strong polar adsorption and charge-selective normal-phase extraction.
Compared with silica-based sorbents, alumina provides stronger Lewis acid/base interactions and enhanced adsorption of aromatic and oxidized organic compounds. This makes alumina SPE particularly effective for petroleum hydrocarbon cleanup, pesticide residue purification and GC/GC-MS sample preparation.
Hawach Alumina SPE cartridges are available in three surface pH grades, each optimized for different compound classes and matrix interferences.
- Alumina – A (Acidic, pH 4.0)– retains basic and neutral compounds while allowing acidic interferences to pass through
- Alumina – B (Basic, pH 9.5)– retains acidic compounds and removes basic interferences
- Alumina – N (Neutral, pH 7.0)– balanced adsorption for general-purpose normal-phase cleanup
All three phases are widely used for removing aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic compounds, pigments, oils, lipids and oxidized organic interferences from complex organic extracts before instrumental analysis.
Why Alumina SPE is Effective for Petroleum & Hydrocarbon Cleanup
Alumina provides strong adsorption for aromatic hydrocarbons and oxidized petroleum components, making it highly effective for oil, grease and fuel extract cleanup prior to GC or GC-MS analysis.
The polar surface of alumina interacts strongly with aromatic ring systems and polar oxidation products, allowing efficient separation of hydrocarbon fractions and matrix interferences.
Alumina-N is commonly used for hydrocarbon class separation by eluting aliphatic fractions with non-polar solvent followed by aromatic fractions using more polar solvent systems.
When to Use Alumina vs Silica vs Florisil
| Sorbent | Surface Characteristics | Best For | Key Difference |
| Alumina-A | Acidic surface (pH 4.0) | Retention of basic compounds and removal of acidic interferences | Strong Lewis acid interaction |
| Alumina-B | Basic surface (pH 9.5) | Retention of acidic compounds and removal of basic interferences | Strong Lewis base interaction |
| Alumina-N | Neutral surface (pH 7.0) | General hydrocarbon and organic extract cleanup | Balanced adsorption selectivity |
| Silica | Polar neutral silica surface | General normal-phase fractionation | Lower charge-based selectivity |
| Florisil | Magnesium silicate | Pesticide cleanup and lipid removal | Different adsorption mechanism and selectivity profile |
Alumina is often preferred over silica when stronger aromatic adsorption, hydrocarbon cleanup or charge-selective fractionation is required.
Typical Situations Where Alumina SPE Performs Better
- Petroleum hydrocarbon cleanup from oil, grease and fuel extracts
- Removal of pigments and lipids from food matrices
- Charge-based fractionation of acidic, basic and neutral compounds
- PAH and PCB cleanup prior to GC-MS analysis
- Sample purification for environmental and industrial testing
- Hydrocarbon class separation in complex organic matrices
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Alumina-A | Alumina-B | Alumina-N |
| Surface pH | 4.0 | 9.5 | 7.0 |
| Surface Area | >150 m²/g | >150 m²/g | >150 m²/g |
| Particle Size | 50-100 μm | 50-100 μm | 50-100 μm |
| Pore Size | 60 Å | 60 Å | 60 Å |
| Retention Mechanism | Normal-phase adsorption | Normal-phase adsorption | Normal-phase adsorption |
| Primary Use | Remove acidic interferences | Remove basic interferences | General cleanup |
Key Features
- Three surface pH grades– optimized selectivity for acidic, basic and neutral compounds
- High surface area porous alumina– efficient adsorption of aromatic and aliphatic interferences
- Strong Lewis acid/base interactions– enhanced charge-selective cleanup capability
- Hydrocarbon cleanup compatibility– suitable for petroleum, oil and grease analysis
- EPA method compatibility– suitable for EPA 3611 and EPA 3612 cleanup workflows
- GC and GC-MS sample preparation– effective matrix cleanup prior to chromatographic analysis
- Consistent batch performance– controlled particle size and surface chemistry
Typical Applications
| Industry | Application | Recommended Phase | Typical Targets / Interferences |
| Environmental | Petroleum hydrocarbon cleanup | Alumina-N / Alumina-B | PAHs, PCB interferences, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons |
| Food Safety | Pesticide residue cleanup | Alumina-B | Lipids, pigments, fatty acids |
| Pharmaceutical | Compound purification | Alumina-A | Acidic impurities and oxidation byproducts |
| Industrial | Lubricating oil analysis | Alumina-N | Non-polar and medium-polar contaminants |
| Method Development | Class fractionation | All Phases | Acidic, basic and neutral compound groups |
Compatible Analytical Methods
- EPA 3611 alumina cleanup
- EPA 3612 PCB cleanup
- GC-MS petroleum hydrocarbon analysis
- PAH fractionation workflows
- Oil and grease testing
- Pesticide residue cleanup
- Environmental extract purification
Standard SPE Workflow (Normal-Phase)
- Condition– hexane, heptane or dichloromethane
- Load– sample dissolved in non-polar organic solvent
- Wash– low-polarity solvent removes undesired interferences
- Elute– increasing polarity solvent recovers retained analytes
Charge-Based Fractionation Behavior
- Alumina-B preferentially retains acidic compounds while neutral/basic interferences elute earlier
- Alumina-A retains basic compounds while acidic components pass through
- Alumina-N provides balanced adsorption for general fractionation workflows
Recommended Cartridge Formats
| Application | Recommended Format |
| Trace residue cleanup | 100-200 mg / 1-3 mL |
| Routine GC cleanup | 500 mg / 3 mL |
| Petroleum hydrocarbon extracts | 1-2 g / 6-12 mL |
| High-matrix environmental samples | 2 g / 12 mL |
Additional cartridge configurations and bulk alumina sorbent available upon request.
B2B & OEM Supply Advantages
- ISO 9001 controlled manufacturing
- Batch-specific COA and lot traceability
- Consistent surface area and particle size distribution
- Compatible replacement for Waters Sep-Pak Alumina workflows
- OEM private label packaging available
- Bulk loose alumina sorbent supply
- Custom cartridge filling and bed weight configuration
- Fast delivery for standard specifications
Order Information
| Alumina-A, Normal phase, Surface area:＞150m2/g (Be Equivalent to Waters Sep-Pak Alumina-A) | ||
| 15011037 | pH: 4.0, 50-100μm, 100mg/1mL | 100pcs/pk |
| 15011038 | pH: 4.0, 50-100μm, 200mg/3mL | 50pcs/pk |
| 15011039 | pH: 4.0, 50-100μm, 500mg/3mL | 50pcs/pk |
| 15011040 | pH: 4.0, 50-100μm, 500mg/6mL | 30pcs/pk |
| 15011041 | pH: 4.0, 50-100μm, 1g/6mL | 30pcs/pk |
| 15011042 | pH: 4.0, 50-100μm, 1g/12mL | 20pcs/pk |
| 15011043 | pH: 4.0, 50-100μm, 2g/12mL | 20pcs/pk |
| Alumina-B, Normal phase, Surface area:＞150m2/g (Be Equivalent to Waters Sep-Pak Alumina-B) | ||
| 15011044 | pH: 9.5, 50-100μm, 100mg/1mL | 100pcs/pk |
| 15011045 | pH: 9.5, 50-100μm, 200mg/3mL | 50pcs/pk |
| 15011046 | pH: 9.5, 50-100μm, 500mg/3mL | 50pcs/pk |
| 15011047 | pH: 9.5, 50-100μm, 500mg/6mL | 30pcs/pk |
| 15011048 | pH: 9.5, 50-100μm, 1g/6mL | 30pcs/pk |
| 15011049 | pH: 9.5, 50-100μm, 1g/12mL | 20pcs/pk |
| 15011050 | pH: 9.5, 50-100μm, 2g/12mL | 20pcs/pk |
| Alumina-N, Normal phase, Surface area:＞150m2/g (Be Equivalent to Waters Sep-Pak Alumina-N) | ||
| 15011051 | pH: 7.0, 50-100μm, 100mg/1mL | 100pcs/pk |
| 15011052 | pH: 7.0, 50-100μm, 200mg/3mL | 50pcs/pk |
| 15011053 | pH: 7.0, 50-100μm, 500mg/3mL | 50pcs/pk |
| 15011054 | pH: 7.0, 50-100μm, 500mg/6mL | 30pcs/pk |
| 15011055 | pH: 7.0, 50-100μm, 1g/6mL | 30pcs/pk |
| 15011056 | pH: 7.0, 50-100μm, 1g/12mL | 20pcs/pk |
| 15011057 | pH: 7.0, 50-100μm, 2g/12mL | 20pcs/pk |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Alumina SPE used for?
Alumina SPE cartridges are primarily used for normal-phase cleanup, hydrocarbon fractionation, pesticide residue purification, petroleum extract cleanup and GC/GC-MS sample preparation.
What is the difference between Alumina-A, Alumina-B and Alumina-N?
The difference is the surface pH and selectivity. Alumina-A is acidic, Alumina-B is basic and Alumina-N is neutral, allowing different retention behavior for acidic, basic and neutral compounds.
What is the difference between Alumina and Florisil SPE?
Alumina provides stronger Lewis acid/base interactions and hydrocarbon adsorption, while Florisil is commonly used for pesticide cleanup and lipid removal using magnesium silicate adsorption chemistry.
Which Alumina phase is best for petroleum hydrocarbon cleanup?
Alumina-N is commonly used for petroleum hydrocarbon fractionation and aromatic/aliphatic separation in environmental and industrial testing workflows.
Can Alumina SPE cartridges be used for GC-MS cleanup?
Yes. Alumina SPE is widely used for cleanup of petroleum extracts, PAHs, pesticides and PCB-related matrices prior to GC or GC-MS analysis.
Are these cartridges compatible with EPA methods?
Yes. Alumina SPE cartridges are compatible with EPA 3611 and EPA 3612 cleanup workflows.
Do you provide batch-specific COA?
Yes. COA, particle size analysis and pH verification are available for each production lot.
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