New HPLC System Choice

[cms12]

Hello,

Although I have experience in GC, I am fairly new to HPLC. The company I work for is interested in purchasing an HPLC system, and I need to gather information in order to make a recommendation on what type of system and detector will be appropriate.

I will be analyzing rosin-based products (http://www.specialchem4adhesives.com/tc ... x?id=rosin), which include a complex mix of components (rosin acids, decarboxylated rosins, mono- di- tri- esters, rosin dimers, etc). Many of these components must be derivatized to be analyzed via GC, and they also oxidize and isomerize readily at even moderate temperatures, hence the need for an HPLC.

I am hoping to gain any advice, both direct and indirect (through a website or book), that might give me insight into what type of system, detector, and column(s) that I will need to tackle this type of analysis. FYI: Currently, a few people are leaning towards an ELSD as the detector choice as it eliminates the need for calibration.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

[tom jupille]

I think a good book for you would be Mike Dong's Modern HPLC for Practicing Scientists. Here's a link to it on Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/4garzzr

By the way, I'd argue with the statement that ELSD eliminates the need for calibration. ELSD response is much less structure-dependent that that of other detectors (like UV), but it is subject to other variables (like mobile phase surface tension) that make the "independent" assumption risky.

[cms12]

Tom,

Thanks. I've put a request in to order that book this week.

By the way-I actually attended your HPLC class in Chicago a couple years ago for a previous job, but I never got to utilize what I learned because we ended up not actually purchasing an HPLC at that company.

Now I'm at a new company and again HPLC pops up. We'll be purchasing the HPLC unit in the next quarter, and I'll be doing some method development for the rosin derivative characterization, so hopefully what I learned in your course will come back to me upon perusing this book!

Thanks,
Christy

[DR]

If you already have a data system in place for your GC work, this may also be taken into consideration when selecting a HPLC.

[tom jupille]

hopefully what I learned in your course will come back to me upon perusing this book

If not then, it *certainly* will when you have to apply it (any knife gets rusty sitting in a drawer!) .

[Consumer Products Guy]

If you already have a data system in place for your GC work, this may also be taken into consideration when selecting a HPLC.

That's where I was thinking. For example, if you know Agilent GC ChemStation, then you already know 99% of the Agilent HPLC ChemStation.

[cms12]

Thanks for the tips! We currently use P&E Turbochrom for GC analysis, but we actually already have Waters Empower software in place for routine SEC work that we do on an LC, which is why we are planning to stick with Waters-- possibly the Alliance instrument.