ICS-1000 Ion Chromatography System Operator's Manual

F • GlossaryAnalytical ColumnSynonymous with Separator Column.Band SpreadingThe broadening of the sample band as it travels through the column. Bandspreading can also occur in the injection valve, detector cell, and interconnectingtubing.Calibration CurveA graph showing detector response in peak height or area versus analyteconcentration.Capacity Factor (k´)The number of column volumes of eluent, pumped through the column, requiredto elute an analyte. Capacity factor is a dimensionless measure of retention whichis independent of column length or eluent flow rate. It is calculated as follows:k′ =t r – t------------- ot oWhere: t r = retention timet o = retention time of unretained solute (column void volume)Doc. 031879-01 3/03 F-1