What does "plate count" mean in HPLC?

At my job I do a lot of HPLC. While I understand most of the science behind it and
behind the chromatograms, I have no idea what "plate count" means. Can someone
enlighten me?

• 4 years ago

Additional Details
It has nothing to do with blood platelets, it has something to do with the peaks in the
chromatogram.

4 years ago

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by Schroedinger's cat
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Plate count is a (theoretical) measure of the efficiency of your column. You know that in
chromatography there's an equilibrium between the stationary phase and the mobile
phase; during elution there's a transfer of molecules from the mobile phase to the
stationary phase and back to the mobile phase, and so on back and forth down the length
of your column--that's how the separation occurs.

The distance along the column that it takes to make one of these transfers between phases
and re-equilibrate is called the "theoretical plate height." If it takes less distance, that
means the plates are narrow and you have more of them in the column, which means
more transfers (and therefore equilibria) between phases can take place, and your column
is more efficient. That of course means better resolution and better peak separation for
you.
If it takes a comparatively greater distance for one phase transfer event, the plates are
wider and there are fewer of them, so your efficiency (and therefore your resolution) is
not as good.

The relationship between theoretical plate height, plate count, and column length is

theoretical plate height x plate count = column length

or

plate count = column length/ theoretical plate height

Remember, this is only theoretical, so round off any calculations you do for plate count.
Hope this helps you.

Source(s):

Professional experience

2.

Theoretical Plates The concept of the theoretical plate arose from distillation column
theory and was borrowed by A J. P. Martin to develop the first elution curve theory for
the chromatography column. Neither in a distillation column, nor in a chromatographic
column, does equilibrium exist in any part of the distribution system. This non-
equilibrium condition arises from the dynamic nature of the distribution systems as the
mobile phase is continually flowing past the stationary phase. The solute does not spend
sufficient time at any point in the column for equilibrium to be achieved. To avoid this
difficulty in the theoretical treatment of retention, the column is considered to be divided
into a number of theoretical plates or cells and each is allotted a finite height (or length)
that will allow the solute sufficient theoretical ?dwell-time? for equilibrium to take place.
It is clear that the faster the equilibrium, the smaller the theoretical plate, and the more
theoretical plates there will be in the column. Thus, the more efficient column has more
theoretical plates. The plate theory was criticized when first developed, as it was claimed
that equilibrium was not achieved in the column and, thus, the theoretical approach was
invalid. However, the theoretical plate concept was introduced specifically to attend to
this non- equilibrium problem The theory gave rise to the elution equation, the equation
for resolution, and the equation used for calculating the column efficiency, all of which,
have been exhaustively validated experimentally over many years.