Laboratory automation of high-pressure liquid chromatography

An automated system for high-pressure liquid chromatography was developed. The system is built around commercial modules wherever possible, modified to varying degrees. An automatic sampler, a sample pump, a high-pressure sampling valve, a recorder with an integrator, and a high-pressure liquid chromatograph comprise the commercial instruments. Relays, solenoid valves, and timers control chromatographic events, i.e., duration of sampling and rinse, mobile phase pump refill, sample injection, and chromatographic time. The automated system is dependable over long periods of unattended operation. With the 40-sample capacity of the sample tray and the last sample stop capability, the automated system produces, for example, 40 20-min chromatograms in approximately 13 hr of unattended operation. Data demonstrate the reliability and utility of the system.