High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

An analytical method of separating components that presents different chemical properties. A sample (a mixture of pigments extracted from sediment, for example) is pushed by a liquid (mobile phase) and kept for a stationary phase which causes a pressure, and separates the components according to their chemical properties creating peaks of different kinds. By comparison with reference standards, the nature of each of these peaks can be identified and studied.