HPLC: Band Broadening

As a compound passes through the column it slowly diffuses away from the initial injection band, which is the area of greatest concentration. The initial, narrow, band that contained all of the sample becomes broader the longer the analyte remains in the column. This band broadening increases the time required for complete elution of a particular compound and is generally undesirable. It must be minimized so that overly broad elution bands do not overlap with one another.