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Reference.org
Differential refractometer
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<p>A differential refractometer (DRI), or refractive index detector (RI or RID) is a detector that measures the <a href="/facts/Refractive_index/yjkzvgeE">refractive index</a> of an <a href="/facts/Analyte/qWzKoY8L">analyte</a> relative to the <a href="/facts/Solvent/LoMPMz8S">solvent</a>. They are often used as detectors for <a href="/facts/High-performance_liquid_chromatography/UNT9jPp0">high-performance liquid chromatography</a> and <a href="/facts/Size_exclusion_chromatography/6IxgVPI1">size exclusion chromatography</a>. They are considered to be universal detectors because they can detect anything with a refractive index different from the solvent, but they have low sensitivity. </p>