Samples are injected into the HPLC via an injection port. The injection port of an HPLC commonly consists of an injection valve and the sample loop. The sample is typically dissolved in the mobile phase before injection into the sample loop. The sample is then drawn into a syringe and injected into the loop via the injection valve. A rotation of the valve rotor closes the valve and opens the loop in order to inject the sample into the stream of the mobile phase. Loop volumes can range between 10 µl to over 500 µl. In modern HPLC systems, the sample injection is typically automated.
Stopped-flow Injection is a method whereby the pump is turned off allowing
the injecion port to attain atmospheric pressure. The syringe containing
the sample is then injected into the valve in the usual manner, and the
pump is turned on. For syringe type and reciprocation pumps, flow in the
column can be brought to zero and rapidly resumed by diverting the mobile
phase by means of a three-way valve placed in front of the injector. This
method can be used up to very high pressures (Willard,
1988).
Willard,
H.; Merritt, L.; Dean, J.A.; Settle Jr., F.A. Instrumental Methods of
Analysis , 7th ed., Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1988.Return
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