Molecular weight determination of hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP) using size exclusion chromatography with a multi-angle laser light scattering detector

The molecular weight of hypromellose phthalate (HPMCP), a polymer used for enteric coating, was determined using size exclusion chromatography with a multi-angle laser light scattering detector. The values of weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of commercially available grades (HP-55, HP-55S, and HP-50) were 45600, 60200, and 37900, respectively. Their inter-day precisions expressed in terms of the coefficient of variation were less than 3%. A correlation curve between Mw and solution viscosity was prepared so that Mw could be easily estimated from the solution viscosity measured by the compendial method.