ABSTRACT
The electrical conductivity detector was, at one time, considered to be an electrochemical detector and was included in the group of solute property detectors. The electrical conductivity detector actually measures the conductivity of the mobile phase and gives a small output when only water is present in the sensor. Such background signals from the mobile phase are backed off by suitable electronic adjustments. If the mobile phase contains buffers, the detector can give an output that completely overwhelms that from any solute being eluted, making detection impossible. It follows that the electrical conductivity detector is not a solute property detector but a bulk property detector. In fact, due to it being a bulk property detector, it senses all ions whether they are from a solute or from the mobile phase and this disadvantage evoked the development of the ion suppresses the details of which will be discussed later.
