What is HPLC?
We are pleased to announce that we have recently invested in a new HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) unit for our laboratory.
How does it work?
HPLC works on the principle of the separation of the material according to their molecular weight and polarity. When a mixture of compounds is passed through the HPLC column, it gets separated into its components before it exits from the column.
The component parts can then be analysed to work out their levels of concentration. The HPLC does this by dissolving the mixture in a liquid (called the mobile phase), and then passing it through a tightly packed solid (called the stationary phase). Depending on various factors, such as size and polarity of the chemicals in the mixture, they will pass through the stationary phase at different speeds. The different solubilities of the sample components in the two phases cause the components to move through the column with different average velocities, thus creating a separation of these components. A UV detector at the other end will detect the chemicals as they come through and give peaks representing those chemicals.
HPLC works on the principle that some molecules take longer than others to pass through a chromatography column. This depends on the affinity of the molecule with the mobile phase (liquid or gas) and the stationary phase (solid or liquid). The ones that have more affinity with the stationary phase take longer to pass through and vice versa
Why invest?
We took the decision to invest in a new HPLC device in order to meet the requirements of our customers, who require very accurate measurements of active component in mixtures we supply to them. The HPLC also improves our quality control and the speed to test our products.
Benefits
Image 2: Actikem’s HPLC Unit in situ
The new HPLC has the following benefits:
- A quaternary pump: which allows the mixing of multiple mobile phases
- A diode array detector: which allows the scanning of multiple UV wavelengths at once
- An auto injector and sample temperature control
HPLC offers quick, efficient and accurate solutions
Compared to other chromatographic techniques, such as TLC, HPLC is extremely quick and efficient. It uses a pump, rather than gravity, to force a liquid solvent through a solid adsorbent material, with different chemical components separating out as they move at different speeds. The process can be completed in roughly 10 to 30 minutes, and it delivers high resolution. It is accurate and highly reproducible. Because it is largely automated, basic HPLC runs can be performed with minimal training.
Want to know more …?
The HPLC will improve the accuracy of our blended products, increase the speed of our analysis and by bringing this analysis in house, allow us to be more competitive. Should you wish to find out more about this service, please contact sales@actikem.com