Astec (Advanced Separation Technologies, Inc.), a Whippany, New Jersey company, is a leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of chiral chromatography columns for both LC and capillary GC.

Astec has 25 different stationary phases for the resolution of enantiomers and related compounds. These phases, when combined with four basic types of mobile phases (normal, reversed, polar organic and polar ionic) and their permutations, create a matrix capable of resolving a very wide variety of racemate types.

Product lines for chiral chromatography include the macrocyclic glycopeptide bonded Cyclobond and Chirobiotic HPLC columns and the cyclodextrin bonded phase capillary Chiraldex (GC) columns. Achiral product lines including the polymer-based apHera column are available for separating non chiral compounds. A total of 13 different product lines for HPLC separations are offered, while 8 bonded phase capillary GC columns are available. A detailed product guide in .pdf format is available for download from the site.

Astec maintains an office in the United Kingdom and distributes its products in the U.S. itself and through various distributors in North America, Europe and Asia.

The website provides an online database with a searchable bibliography of journal published articles featuring their columns. A separate applications database, the Astec Applications Library, is organized by technique (GC or LC) and by compounds that are selected by drop down menus. Compounds are listed in alphabetical order. Both compound categories and individual compounds are listed.

By clicking onto a submit button after selecting the technique and the compound, a chromatogram for that compound appears. Around 750 chromatograms are in the database in html format. The applications area, most often pharmaceutical, for the compound being chromatographed is included on the chromatogram.