ABSTRACT
There are two essential elements to a quantitative chromatographic analysis. Firstly, the solutes of interest must be adequately resolved from one another, so that measurements can be taken that will disclose the relative amounts of each component present. Secondly, the eluted solutes must be monitored by a device that will give an output that is some known function of the mass or concentration of the solute eluted per unit time. The former required a suitable column and phase system to be chosen to ensure adequate resolution. The latter requires a detector with a known and predictable response and which has a sensitivity commensurate with the mass of sample being analyzed. The majority of chromatographic detectors that are commercially available are suitable for quantitative analysis, but they all differ, to some extent, in their actual performance specifications.
