What is Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate (HETP) in Chromatography?
Definition of Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate (HETP)
Height Equivalent to a Theoretical Plate (HETP) in chromatography is the length of column required to achieve one theoretical separation stage. HETP decreases as separation efficiency increases because a shorter column length is needed to achieve each theoretical separation stage. HETP is calculated by dividing column length by the number of theoretical plates, confirming it represents column length per separation stage. Lower HETP values indicate that solute bands undergo effective separation over shorter column segments, reflecting one theoretical plate per reduced length.