Important Information Concerning ELS Detector

By Laura Kelly


An evaporative light scattering detector is a device that is used for making compounds analysis in the cases where the use of UV is not applicable or is restricted. This means that the products will not be able to access enough UV radiations. Some of these compounds that are analyzed using this device include antivirals, sugars, antibiotics, phospholipids, lipids, alcohols, and terpenoids. This device is a general-purpose one and works in a way more or less the same as that of refractive index devices. An ELS detector may be used together with high-performance liquid chromatography in order to be more effective.

This device works under the principle of solvent analysis when eluded by the HPLC. In this activity, a series of actions are done on the material being tested until it reaches the final stage where a light beam produced by the device is used to deduce the result or the findings concerning the subject matter. This is done after the solution has been split into a solute and solvent.

There are many activities that use the application of this device. Most of them are ones that require the separation of complex compounds to individual elements and therefore allow scientist to know the elements present in substances such as drugs, food chemistry, natural hair and body products, beverages and many other chemistry-related industries.

A good device will produce less noise as well as give an analysis that is traceable, reliable and definite. The lighting should be able to provide good viewing scope of the process. It should have strong analytical characteristics that are traceable as well as being sensitive to analytes. This means it should have the ability to analyze any type of analytes ranging from volatile, semi and non-volatile.

A good device should be able to detect each and every analyte whether volatile or semi-volatile within the acceptable temperature ranges. In most cases semi-volatile compounds require about forty degrees Celsius for analysis to take place they easily decompose something many detectors cause. This leaves the observer with incomplete analysis.

Other than detecting compounds missed by other detectors, a good model should have good gas flow control so as to avoid the wasting of gas used after the process is done. There should be a gas shut-off that is automatic in order to aid in gas conservation. Fouling should also be minimized. These mechanisms have to be set in place so as to minimize noise production and evade frequent repairs.

It should also have a single-mode method of operation. When a device has low temperature operating mechanism, the analysis conducted will not require different conditions as this fits almost all analytes. It should also be easy to operate. Most effective devices will give specific color codes for certain analytes that contain similar properties even if they do not have the same spectroscopic characteristics. This helps in classification and grouping.

One of the merits of having a good device is that it has higher sensitivity characteristic as compared to other devices such as refractive index devices. It is able to have detection of samples of all categories in mobility and characteristics.




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