We are trying to monitor one compound (A) to dertermine the reaction of another compound (B) by HPLC. We have calculated the relative response factor between A and B (by total response area over concentration).
Now, my boss wants this to be transfered to a collaboration lab, assuming they can use the same relative response factor. Of couse, they would try to duplicate our conditions, ie, column, mobile phase, gradient, flow rate, etc. But, they would have different instruments and software. I'm somehow suspicious of the transfering of the value. Is the relative response factor really independent of the instruments they are run?

Area can vary due to hardware differences such as cell volume, path length, etc., as well as changing as retention time changes. I personally would NEVER try to transfer over something like this. Does your boss have pointy hair like Dilbert's boss?

There is no reason to assume that the value of area ratios will be drastically different. There can be some tiny differences due to inaccuracies in the detector wavelength, same for integration parameters, but everything else should come out as a wash. The whole pharmaceutical industry lives on this.

We have been successfull in transfering methods based on response factors. To give yourselves the best chance you should control the parameters that can affect the response factor. Especially band width on diode array based systems, but also slit width, the detector time constant, reference wavelength, etc. If you know ahead of time the type of equipment you will be transfering to you can often adjust the settings on your equipment to give comparable response factors.

As a way out, I would include in the transfer protocol a procedure for the receiving lab to determine new response factors if they are not within the required limits. Good Luck.

a few injections will tel you if the rrf are the same in the other lab. if you boss does not want to spent these few injections, i would check his haircut to see if its the same as dilberts boss....

I would determine the response factors for each system for each lab before transferring a RRF for a critical method. I was working with an outside company on a method development project and we both were getting significantly different RRF, but the overall results (PPM) were reproducible. If using an Agilent 1100, the software does an excellent job with the explanation of the calculation, internal standards as well as the set up in the method. Hope this helps. If it were me, tell your boss to get a hair cut and leave you to do your best work!