Understanding the Instrumentation of HPLC

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1.4.1.3 Instrumentation of HPLC (Fig 1 F5) 1 Extremely precise gradient mixer (optional). 2 HPLC high pressure pumps with very constant flow. 3 Unique high accuracy, low dispersion, HPLC sample valves. 4 Very high efficiency HPLC columns with inert packing materials. 5 High sensitivity low dispersion HPLC detectors. 6 High-speed data acquisition systems. 7 Low dispersion connecting tubes for valve to column and column to detector Fig 1 F5 Schematic Diagram of HPLC instrument HPLC Gradient Mixers HPLC gradient mixers must provide a very precise control of solvent composition to maintain a reproducible gradient profile. This can be complicated in HPLC by the small elution volumes required by many systems. It is much more …show more content…

HPLC detectors use the same detection principles with extra care being given to the small solute elution volumes that result from the combination of high column efficiencies with small volumes. In order to give an accurate chromatographic profile the detector sampling (cell) volume must be a small fraction of the solute elution volume. If the detector volume were larger than the elution volume then peaks that appeared are with flat tops as the whole peak would be resident in the detector at the same time. This means that as column volumes decrease and system efficiencies increase the volume of the detector cell must also decrease. This is of course at odds for the requirement of detector to maintain high sensitivity, as this is usually dependant on having a larger cell volume. Again, this requires the very careful design of modern …show more content…

tR1, tR2= net retention time of components 1, 2. Retention time (tR): It is the time between the samples injected and chromatographic peak recorded. The total retention time (tR1 or tR2) is the time, which is needed by sample component to migrate from column inlet (sample injection) to the column end (detector). The net retention time (tR1 or tR2) is the difference between total retention time and dead time i.e. the time the sample component remains in the stationary phase. Resolution (RS): It is a measure of quality of separation of adjacent bands in a chromatogram; obviously overlapping bands have small Rs values. It is calculated from the width and retention time of two adjacent

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