Shodex SUGAR SH-Series Columns for Sugar and Organic Acid Analysis in Bioethanol Fermentation Mash

Record: 683

Category: Column Selection
Product: SH series 
Sample: Bioethanol

Question
A customer working at a corn-to-ethanol (bioethanol) manufacturing facility needs to analyze sugars and organic acids in Saccharomyces fermentation mash. They currently use the Bio-Rad Aminex HPX-87H column but are not satisfied with the resolution and would like to know whether Shodex offers a similar but improved column for this application.

Answer

Yes. Shodex SUGAR SH-series columns are polymer-based ion-exclusion/SEC columns designed for the analysis of sugars, organic acids, alcohols, and fermentation byproducts under dilute sulfuric acid conditions. They are the closest Shodex equivalent to the Bio-Rad Aminex HPX-87H and often provide improved peak shape and resolution, especially for organic acids and malto-oligosaccharides.

For routine ethanol fermentation mash analysis, the recommended column is:

SUGAR SH1011(H⁺ form), 300 × 8.0 mm

SH1011 delivers high-resolution separation of glucose, xylose, fructose, arabinose, glycerol, ethanol, lactic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, and other fermentation acids, and is widely used across bioethanol and industrial fermentation workflows.

For high-throughput environments, a shortened format is available:

SUGAR SH1011 8C(100 × 8.0 mm)
This version provides substantially faster run times while maintaining adequate resolution for sugars, organic acids, and ethanol, making it ideal for rapid fermentation monitoring.

If the matrix contains biomass-derived compounds such as cellooligosaccharides, furfurals, or other hydrolysate-related species, the alternative SUGAR SH1821 column may offer more suitable selectivity due to its different pore structure.

Recommended Applications:

• Rapid Analysis of Malto-oligosaccharides, Organic Acids, and Ethanol (SH1011 8C): This application shows fast, high-resolution separation of typical fermentation sugars and acids using the SH1011 8C column.
• Saccharides and Organic Acids (SH1011): Demonstrates ion-exclusion separation of common sugars and acids encountered in fermentation workflows.
• Cellooligosaccharides and Furfurals (SH1821): Relevant for biomass-derived or lignocellulosic processes where inhibitory compounds and longer oligos may appear.

Additional Comments

The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has also published a validated biomass-analysis method that uses the Shodex SUGAR SP0810 column for quantifying carbohydrates in algal hydrolysates. SP0810 is a Pb²⁺-form ligand-exchange column designed for high-resolution separation of mono- and oligosaccharides in aqueous systems.

Reference:
NREL (2013) – Determination of Total Carbohydrates in Algal Biomass

Although SP0810 is used for biomass-derived saccharides in this NREL method, the SH-series (SH1011 / SH1011 8C / SH1821) remains the appropriate Shodex equivalent to the Bio-Rad Aminex HPX-87H for fermentation mash analysis, because it supports ion-exclusion of sugars, organic acids, and fermentation alcohols under dilute sulfuric acid conditions.

The inclusion of SP0810 in government-lab workflows highlights the robustness and broad utility of Shodex carbohydrate columns across both bioethanol and biomass-conversion industries.

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