HPLC is a popular and versatile technique for separating, identifying, and quantifying constituents of complex organic samples. It works by forcing a pressurized mobile phase through a column containing a stationary phase, which interacts differently with different compounds and allows them to be separated. Key components of an HPLC system include the pump, injector, column, detector, and data analysis software. HPLC can separate compounds based on differences in how strongly they interact with the mobile and stationary phases.