Comparison of fluoride modified zirconia with ceramic hydroxyapatite for preparative scale purification of immunoglobulin from serum albumin.

The utility of 50 microns fluoride modified zirconia particles as an easily cleaned and steam sterilizable low pressure preparative scale stationary phase for immunoglobulin purification was investigated and its performance was compared with 40 microns ceramic hydroxyapatite type II (cHAp II) particles. The equilibrium batch binding capacity of both supports for bovine serum albumin decreases monotonically with increase in the adsorption pH, while that for bovine IgG is independent of pH, in the pH ranges studied. The dynamic binding capacity, as determined by breakthrough analysis, was 29 mg BSA/g zirconia for fluoride modified zirconia and 8.6 mg BSA/g cHAp II for cHAp II. Linear gradient conditions were developed for the separation of BSA and IgG on fluoride modified zirconia. The same separation could be accomplished in a shorter time and with better resolution on cHAp II.