Sepharose is a bead-formed agarose-based gel filtration matrix. Sepharose is available with 3 different agarose contents; 2, 4, and 6%, designated Sepharose 2B, Sepharose 4B and Sepharose 6B respectively.

Sepharose CL gels are cross-linked derivatives of Sepharose 2B, Sepharose 4B and Sepharose 6B. The cross-linked form of Sepharose is chemically and physically more resistant than Sepharose itself, offering the same selectivity with better flow characteristics. Cross-linked Sepharose gels are resistant to organic solvents and are thus the choice for separations in organic solvents.