What is Sparging?

Sparging is the process of bubbling a virtually insoluble gas, such as helium, through a solvent in an effort to displace the gases which have dissolved into solution. A gas such as helium has a very low solubility in most solvents used in HPLC. By forcing an inert gas like helium into a solvent which doesn’t “want” the gas to be present, the gases (like oxygen and nitrogen) that are present are driven out (Henry’s Law). This leaves a solvent with virtually no gas dissolved in solution. Therefore, when the gradient mixing takes place, bubble formation is minimized, helping to ensure better chromatographic results.