High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Here at FSW we are excited to announce the installation of our new HPLC instrument to help us better serve our customers in new and exciting ways. Having this technology at our disposal will greatly improve our R&D and QC abilities.
By utilizing differences in molecular size and affinity, and their effects on elution time, we can identify and quantify the composition of chemical samples. This instrument allows us to analyze a wide variety of chemical samples, whether they be dyes, polymers, ions, or solvents. In fact, at FSW we are utilizing an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography or UHPLC, which requires a smaller sample size and provides faster results with higher resolution.
This new instrument will give us the capability to identify the composition of many mixtures quickly and accurately, whether the component are dye mixtures, solvents, other chemicals, or a combination thereof. This will be a great tool for our lab staff. In less than a half hour we can isolate and quantify the amounts of any dye in a mixture, no matter how many components are in use.
In the past, dye mixtures were examined with a spectrophotometer, with special attention on the peaks in certain absorption wavelengths. Identification of single dyes was simple, but in multi-component mixes, there was a high amount of time-consuming guesswork. With chemical spot tests used to confirm our best guess, a large amount of time could be spent just trying to figure out what all in a dye mixture is, not to mention the time spent figuring out all the individual ratios. A variety of physical and solubility tests could be used as a last resort but often produced results that could be considered inconclusive. With the new HPLC, our time may be better spent improving processes, products, and services for our customers.
Besides improving our R&D capabilities, the HPLC should greatly improve our quality control. The machine gives us the ability to detect any contaminants in our products, or raw materials; even those that make up a fraction of a percent. We can use this to help improve existing products by qualifying and quantifying the components, production capability and to ensure our standards are met.
In-house we will be using this tool to better evaluate our vendors. This will also help identify potential incompatible substances in our customers material. In turn, we will be able to discover suppliers’ quality and confirm their conformance. The HPLC can be used to monitor our regulatory compliance activities.
The lab staff at First Source Worldwide is grateful and excited by the opportunities presented by our new HPLC. Our results will be fast, easy, and more accurate than ever before. We can double check our guesswork for multi-component mixes. We can ensure the safety of our customers and staff with a press of a button. Have you been struggling with the identity of a product, the purity of a sample, or are unsure about its health and safety hazards? Consider sending us a sample. We will get you the answers you need! Click the picture below to contact us.
About the Author: Jacob Ferguson
