Process Separations

AG Resins
Family Members■ AG 50W Resin■ AG 1 and AG 2 Resins■ AG 501 Resin
Available Variations■ Various crosslinkages■ 
Various functional groups(-H, -OH, -Cl, -Na, -NO3 – ,-CH3COOH)■ Strong and weak anion andcation exchange■ Mixed-bed ion exchange

At a Glance
AG (Analytical Grade) Resins are a microporous copolymer of styrene anddivinylbenzene. These resins are extensively purified to remove both organic andinorganic impurities. They are sized to give consistent narrow wet mesh ranges,
which provide high resolution and excellent reproducibility in multiple applications.
They are available in several ionic forms and can be converted from one to another.
They can be stored at ambient temperatures and are stable for at least 2 years whenstored as recommended. They are available in numerous sizes to aid laboratory- tomanufacture-scale purifications.
Wet Mesh and Equivalent Micron Diameters
Wet Mesh (U.S. Standard)
162040

50

80

100

140

200

270

325

400

Micron Diameter (1 µm = 0.001 mm)
1,180850

425300180150106755345

Approximate Molecular Weight (MW) Exclusion Limits for Ion Exchange Resins in Water
Crosslinkage, %Approximate MW Exclusion Limit for Globular Molecules

22,700

4

1,400

8

1,000

10800

12400

Visit bio-rad.com/AGResins for more information.

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AG Resins

AG 50W ResinApplications

Features■Ultra purification of buffers and ionic reagents
Separation of metals, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids■ Sample preparation and enzyme assays■ Nitrate removal■ Purification of sugar compounds■ Fermentation applications

Strong basic cation exchanger■ Functional group: sulphonic acid■ Available as 2, 4, 8, and 12% crosslinked versions■■AG 50W Technical Specifications
Property

Description

Minimum wet capacity

2% crosslinkage: 0.6 meq/ml
4% crosslinkage: 1.1 meq/ml
8% crosslinkage: 1.7 meq/ml
12% crosslinkage: 2.1 meq/ml
Macroporous (MP): 1.5 meq/ml

Recommended linear
flow rate

AG 501 ResinFeatures■

Removing trace ions: 5–10 cm/hr
Separations with very few
components: 1–3 cm/hr
Separations of multicomponent
samples: 0.3–1.0 cm/hr
Using high-resolution resins withsmall particle size: 0.1–0.2 cm/hr■■

 ixed-bed ion exchanger containing equivalent amounts
Mof AG 50W-X8, a strong cation exchange resin, and AG 1-X8,a strong anion exchange resin
Available with blue dye that functions as a visual indicator
Available as– Molecular biology grade AG 501-X8, certified to containno endo- or exonucleases and no ligase inhibitors– Biotechnology grade AG 501-X8, certified to contain<100 microorganisms/gram

Applications

Ultra purification of buffers and ionic reagents
Sample preparation■ 
Separation of metals, weak acids, peptides, amino acids,and nucleotides■AG 501 Technical Specifications■

AG 1 and AG 2 ResinsFeaturesStrong basic anion exchangers
Functional group: quaternary ammonium■ AG 1 Resins available as 2, 4, and 8% crosslinked versions■ AG 2 Resins similar to AG 1 Resins but less basic and lessresistant to oxidation

Property

Description

Minimum wetcapacity

8% crosslinkage: 1.8 meq/ml

Recommended
linear flow rate

Removing trace ions: 5–10 cm/hr
Separations with very few components: 1–3 cm/hr
Separations of multicomponent samples: 0.3–1.0 cm/hr
Using high-resolution resins with small particle size:1.0–2.0 cm/hr■■Applications■■AG 1 and AG 2 Technical Specifications
Property

Description

Minimum wetcapacity

2% crosslinkage: 0.6 meq/ml
4% crosslinkage: 1.0 meq/ml
8% crosslinkage: 1.2 meq/ml

Recommended
linear flow rate

Removing trace ions: 5–10 cm/hr
Separations with very few components: 1–3 cm/hr
Separations of multicomponent samples: 0.3–1.0 cm/hr
Using high-resolution resins with small particle size:
1.0–2.0 cm/hr■■

 aste treatment in nuclear power plants to remove radioactiveW
substances from water eionizing urea, acrylamide, formamide, glyoxal, orDpolyethylene glycol
Condensate polishing

Other AG Resins■ AG MP-1M Anion Exchange Resin — macroporous equivalentof AG 1 Resin■© 2021 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Water softening2

 G 11 A8 Resin — ion retardation resin, extremely useful forA
chromatographic desalting or removing acid from nonionicmolecules. Available in both analytical and biotechnology grades

Bulletin 6904

AG Resins

AG Resin Resources
Use the analytical grade schematic and selection guide to selectan appropriate AG Resin.
Analytical Grade Ion Exchange Chromatography

AG Resin Selection Guide1.

■Select the appropriate chemistry: cation or anion exchangeresin.
■ ation exchange resins are suitable for positively charged
C(basic, high pI) components– AG 50W, AG MP-50, Bio-Rex 70■

Anion exchange resins are used to bind various negatively
charged (acidic, low pI) species– AG 1, AG MP-1, AG 2, AG 4, Bio-Rex 52.

3.

Select the appropriate crosslinkage.
■

Choose the proper grade.
■

For molecules <2,700 Da, choose between the 2, 4, 8,and 12 percentage crosslinked resins. For example:■– AG 1-X2, AG 1-X4, AG 1-X8– AG 50W-X2, AG 50W-X4, AG 50W-X8, AG 50W-X12■■■

For molecules >2,700 Da, use the macroporous form.
For example, AG MP-1 or AG MP-50
Cation and anion exchange resins are also available instrong and weak forms, providing additional separation
mechanisms

Counterion considerations: Choosing the appropriate
counterion is critical for ensuring good binding of themolecules to be isolated or removed. In general, use anionic form with a lower selectivity than the sample ions to beadsorbed. The sample ions are adsorbed when introducedand desorbed by introducing an ion with a higher affinity forthe resin, or a high concentration of an ion with the same orlower selectivity. If the selectivity of the analyte is unknown,+–
we recommend the H or OH form

Analytical grade is a highly purified, narrowly sized grade,
ideal for most analytical applications
Biotechnology grade ensures additional purity withcertification that fewer than 100 microorganisms per dry
gram are present
Molecular biology grade is useful for nucleic acidapplications and certified to be free of endo- andexonuclease activity, as well as ligase inhibitors– Use a weak exchanger to bind strongly adsorbing
components– Use a strong exchanger to bind weakly adsorbing
molecules© 2021 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

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Bulletin 6904

AG Resins

4.

Choose the proper mesh size. Mesh size and particle size areinversely related. The larger the mesh size number, the smaller
the particle size.
■■■

Large mesh resin (20–50 and 50–100 mesh) is usedprimarily for large preparative applications and batch
operations where the resin and sample are slurried
togetherMedium mesh resin (100–200 mesh) is used primarily incolumn chromatography for analytical- and laboratoryscale preparative applications
Fine mesh resin (200–400 mesh) is used for high-resolution
analytical separations

Note: If uncertain, we recommend the 100–200 mesh size.
All AG Resins come with regulatory support. Large bulk volumes
and special packaging for industrial applications are available
on request.
For technical/product support or to request a quote, email yourregional Bio-Rad representative or contact customer service at
1-800-4-BIORAD (1-800-424-6723).

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Visit bio-rad.com/AGResins for more information and download
our Process Resin Selection Guide (bulletin 6713)
for technical and ordering information.
BIO-RAD, AG, and CHELEX are trademarks of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. in certain
jurisdictions. All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owner.

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