Deformed Peaks - HP 5890 Series II Plus Reference Manual

Chromatographic Troubleshooting
Peak symptoms

Deformed peaks

The ideal peak, rarely occurring in chromatography, is a pure Gaussian
shape. In practice, some asymmetry is always present, particularly near
the baseline.
1. The peak rises normally, then drops sharply to baseline:
Figure 9-1.
Overloaded Peak
2. The peak rises sharply and then falls normally to baseline:
Figure 9-2.
Abnormal Interaction with Column Material
The most likely cause is column overload; dilute the sample
ten•foldand run it again.
This may also be two (or more) closely merged (unresolved) peaks;
lower oven temperature 30 C and repeat the analysis. If partial
separation is seen, merged peaks are present.
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