TSK-GEL HIC packings consist of polymethacrylate base material and a choice of three ligands (butyl, ether and phenyl) with varied hydrophobicities from low to high, respectively. 

The polymethacrylate base resin for the ether and phenyl columns is a porous material with a 1000Å pore size and 1,000,000 Da exclusion limit, offering high capacity and high sample loads. The TSKgel Butyl-NPR features a non-porous support in which only the surface of the bead is available for adsorption. Shorter run times and excellent recovery result, making the butyl columns an optimal choice for high throughput or QC analysis. See the figure below for a comparison between the three column types.

Comparing conventional and nonporous HIC columns

	Features	Benefits
TSKgel Phenyl-5PW   Most hydrophobic Requires modest salt concentration to retain proteins. Most popular column applicable for the widest range of hydrophobicities  TSKgel Ether-5PW Less hydrophobic Excellent choice for hydrophobic proteins such as membrane proteins or monoclonal antibodies.  TSKgel Butyl-NPR Least hydrophobic Excellent choice for high speed applications Usually high recovery due to absence of pores.