Experimental Determination of Longitudinal Pressure Profile Within HPLC Column

Abstract

A new method for evaluation of pressure gradient along an HPLC column is presented. The method utilizes the dependence on pressure of the sorption equilibrium between sorbent surface and a two-component liquid. Sudden changes of pressure generates a change of sorption equilibrium of mixed eluent within the column packing and an eigenzone, i.e. the zone of effluent with changed composition, is observed on the detector record. The interpretation of the shape of eigenzone allows both evaluating distribution of sorbents along the column and calculating pressure profile within the column.