How to Choose a Pump for High-Pressure Solvent Applications

HPLC pumps, also known as solvent delivery pumps, are versatile tools used in various applications beyond chromatography. Chrom Tech’s high-pressure solvent delivery pumps provide consistent flow rates, regardless of system back pressures. These pumps are also used in industries such as oil and gas, chemical engineering, chemical reactions, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

As part of our HPLC instrumentation line, Chrom Tech offers high-quality, accurate pumps designed for precise and demanding applications. Our pumps come in stainless steel or biocompatible PEEK flow paths, with a wide range of flow rates and pressure limits. Whether you need a simple isocratic pump or a more complex binary system, Chrom Tech has the right pump for your needs.

Consider Your Application’s Flow Rate

It is important to understand your application’s flow rate when selecting the appropriate pump. Chrom Tech offers pumps in the analytical flow rates (accurate flow rates down to 0.100mL/min) up to preparative flow rates (accurate flow rates up to 300mL/min). It is important to select the appropriate pump head so that you are operating within the pumps specifications at your desired flow rate.

Consider the Solvents Used in Your Application

As standard, Chrom Tech pumps are sold with either stainless steel or PEEK biocompatible pump heads, if unsure of your solvent’s compatibility, please contact support@chromtech.com to discuss your application, or call Chrom Tech at 952-431-6000. Other wetted materials in the fluid path include synthetic ruby, sapphire, UHMWPE, and PTFE. If it is deemed that your application cannot use SS or PEEK, we can also customize a pump by offering Hastelloy C or titanium pump heads.

Consider Your System Back Pressure

Chrom Tech pumps are positive displacement piston pumps incorporating advanced cam designs for very low pulsation. Our pumps are designed with a variety of ranges of maximum system back pressure. Since our pumps utilize check valves, it is recommended that a minimum back pressure to our pumps is 200 psi for optimum pump performance. If your application will not provide adequate back pressure, contact support@chromtech.com, and we will calculate the amount of restrictive tubing to add to the outlet of the pump, based on your solvent’s viscosity and intended flow rate.

For Ultra High pressure applications, we have pumps that can pump constant flow rates, with up to 18,000 psi system back pressure.

Blending Multiple Solvents

If you are looking to blend multiple solvents, choose the Chrom Tech Binary pump. The customizable Binary Gradient Pumping System is an advanced pumping system for two-solvent high-pressure gradient applications. The system is designed with two single-head positive displacement piston pumps integrated into a functional enclosure. Equipped with belt-drive pump mechanisms with shaped cam and electronic fast refill, the system produces very low pulsation. The included Gradient Board allows for autonomous binary gradient formation without the need for continuous computer monitoring and control. Serial commands may be used to directly set pump flow rates, start/pause, or monitor status. Additional features include control of two solvent-selection valves, multiple timed events, and leak detection.

Viscosity of Solvent

When pumping a viscous solvent, increasing inlet head pressure will improve performance. We always recommend the inlet solvent reservoir bottle be placed above the pump to minimize the possibility of cavitation. For more viscous solvents, a helium sparge may also be required to further increase head pressure for optimal pump performance.

Other Things to Consider

Chrom Tech’s HPLC pumps are designed to operate worry-free, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year, with a 3-year warranty. Real-time pressure monitoring with upper and lower pressure limits automatically shuts the pump off if system pressure is exceeded. Prime purge valves allow for quick change of solvents between different applications. When considering a pump for your application, please reach out to support@chromtech.com, so we can recommend the best pump for your application. We can also customize our pump design to fit in your chassis, by removing duplicate parts, to best suit your needs.