How to read a certificate
HPLC, explainedEvery certificate below includes a chromatogram like this — here's what each part of it tells you.
| Peak | RT (min) | Area % |
|---|---|---|
| Main peak | 10.42 | 99.32 |
| Impurity | 8.91 | 0.41 |
| Impurity | 12.63 | 0.27 |
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1
Solvent front
The injection wash-through that every run starts with. It isn't the compound, and it's excluded from the purity math.
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2
Main peak — the peptide
One tall, sharp, symmetric peak means one dominant compound. Its position (retention time) is a fingerprint checked against a reference standard.
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3
Trace impurities
Tiny bumps beside the main peak. The fewer and smaller they are, the cleaner the lot — here they add up to well under 1%.
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4
Integration → the purity number
Software measures the area under every peak. Main-peak area ÷ total area is the purity percentage printed on the certificate.
99.32 ÷ (99.32 + 0.41 + 0.27) = ≥99% purity
Identity is confirmed separately by mass spectrometry, and lots are screened for bacterial endotoxin (USP <85> LAL) — look for the green pills on each certificate card below.