HPLC Columns

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify and quantify each component in a mixture. The sample mixture to be separated and tested is sent into a stream of solvent (mobile phase) to the column which contains the chromatographic packing material needed (stationary phase) to make the separation. The mixture moves through the column at different speeds and interacts with the stationary phase. The velocity of each component in the mixture depends on its chemical nature, the nature of the column and the composition of the mobile phase. The time at which a specific component emerges from the column is termed as its retention time. The retention time is measured under specific conditions and considered as the identifying characteristic of a given component. There are different types of columns available with different sorbents and particle sizes. The technique has found the immense scope of applications in both academic and industrial laboratories requiring identification and quantification of mixtures of organic compounds.