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HPLC mobile phase life - 2005/11/28 19:10
Gerhard brings up an interesting point relative to more than just HPLC mobile phase when he mentions pH. It is taken for granted by most people that the pH value from a meter is an absolute. Most forget that when they were introduced to pH it was by definition applicable to DILUTE, AQUEOUS solutions. Ph meters do not read pH. The read millvoltage and apply the 59mV to 60mV per pH unit, temperature dependant, relationships. When you do not have an aqueous solution, for example 40% methanol or 30% acetonitrile, that pH, millivolt relationship goes out the window. Proper mobile phase preparation requires adjusting pH before adding mobile phase. Most technicians do it after because mobile phase is described as the mixture adjusted to a pH. As a result some methods are now actually developed instructing technicians to adjust before use. If that is how a method was developed, good luck to anyone trying to use it that way. I have had to start from scratch, to re-invent the wheel, so that I can reproduce results, by adjusting the aqueous to a determined pH before adding the organic. If ever you are developing a method, dissolve the salt in water, adjust pH and then add organic. Do not mix old pH dependant eluent with fresh. Dispose of the old and replace it with the new.
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