High Performance Liquid Chromatography
instruments have emerged as one of the most useful tools for industries such as
life sciences, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, pesticides and lot more. HPLC
devices and systems are considered to be a brilliant invention that has helped
mankind get better products and services. Using HPLC systems, researchers and
scientists can easily segregate molecules from mixtures which would otherwise
have been impossible. HPLC systems help separate molecules in the most accurate
manner than Gas chromatography devices. Let us understand about the main parts
which comprises of a full-fledged HPLC system.
Pump
The main function of the HPLC Pump
is to force a liquid (which is also known as the mobile phase) via a liquid
chromatograph at a specific flow rate, expressed in milliliters per min (mL/min).
The solvent is passed through the column using high pressure. Pumps are a vital
part of HPLC systems as these help maintain flow rates and high pressure. The
flow rate, in addition to how a molecule reacts with the beads in the column,
determines how fast a particular chemical will migrate through the column. The
migration time is used to identify individual chemicals.
Injector
The injector does the task of introducing the liquid sample into the flow
stream of the mobile phase. It is mainly used to place a sample into the
solvent stream flowing through the column. The Injector is specifically
designed to place a liquid sample into the solvent stream with as little
perturbation as possible.
Column
Column is considered to be the most important part of the chromatograph which
separates the sample components of interest using various physical and chemical
parameters. It comprises of a metal housing in a tube shape which is packed
with tiny beads that have an affinity for the chemicals that are being analyzed.
The chemicals interact with the beads as soon as they flow through the column
in a solvent. The minute molecular differences in similar compounds cause them
to migrate through the column at different velocities, and separate them
according to migration time through the column. The column also has a filter
which lets the solvent to flow through but keeps the beads from leaving the
column.
Detector
It does the work of detecting individual molecules that come out from the
column. There are different varieties of detectors that are use for deciding
when the chemical should exit the column (the main part of the HPLC system).
For instance, the optical HPLC detectors use a beam of light to
determine when a particular chemical passes out of the column. When the solvent
exits the column, it gets passed through the detector's light path. Next, there
are Ultraviolet and visible light detectors which operate by recording the
absorption of light caused by the chemical of interest. Now, the change in
absorption caused by the chemical indicates the presence of the chemical. Other
detectors that are available are fluorescence and electrochemical detectors.
Data System
This is a computer that helps controls all the modules of the HPLC instrument,
takes the signal from the detector and uses it to determine the time of
elution (retention time) of the sample components (qualitative analysis) and
the amount of sample (quantitative analysis).
Get Hitachi HPLC replacement parts for your chromatography needs and requirements. You can even go for Agilent HPLC parts. The HPLC components delivered by these companies are simply second to none. You can also get HPLC spare parts, Agilent HPLC parts, and HPLC components from these companies at best rates.