What is Chromatography?
Chromatography is a process which can be used to isolate the various components of a mixture. There are a number of different types of chromatography in use, including gas, liquid, paper, and gel permeation chromatography, and this process can get quite involved, especially with complex mixtures. It is also an extremely useful addition to a variety of fields, including pure and applied sciences, forensics, and athletics, among many others. The process relies on the fact that different molecules will behave in different ways when they are dissolved in a solvent and moved across an absorbent medium. In a very simple example, one could take ink and make a mark on a piece of paper. The paper could be dipped into water, and the capillary action of the water would pull the ink through the paper. As the ink moved, its ingredients would separate out, revealing a distinctive pattern which could be used to determine the components of the ink. In preparative chromatography, researchers separate i
Chromatography is a powerful technique for separating mixtures. There are different types of chromatography, such as paper, thin layer, or column chromatography (amongst others), each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Chromatography systems have a stationary phase (which can be solid or liquid) and a mobile phase (usually liquid or gas). In column chromatography both phases are placed in a column container. Advantages of Column Chromatography Column chromatography is advantageous over most other chromatographic techniques because it can be used in both analytical and preparative applications. Not only can column chromatography be used to determine the number of components of a mixture, but it can also be used to separate and purify substantial quantities of those components for subsequent analysis. This is in contrast to paper chromatography, which is solely an analytical method.
Chromatography is a method used by scientists for separating organic and inorganic compounds so that they can be analyzed and studied. By analyzing a compound , a scientist can figure out what makes up that compound. Chromatography is a great physical method for observing mixtures and solvents. The word chromatography means “color writing” which is a way that chemist can test liquid mixtures. While studying the coloring materials in plant life, a Russian botanist invented chromatography in 1903. His name was M.S. Tswett. Chromatography is used in many different ways. Some people use chromatography to find out what is in a solid or liquid. It is also used to determine what unknown substances are. The Police, F.B.I., and other detectives use chromatography when trying to solve a crime. It is also used to determine the presence of cocaine in urine, alcohol in blood, PCBs in fish, and lead in water. Chromatography is used by many different people in many different ways. Chromatograpy is ba
• chromatography is a versatile technique for separating mixtures • strategy: flow the mixture over a material that retains some components more than others, so different components flow over the material at different speeds • a simple analogy for chromatography ProdVersion=ShockwaveFlash”> If you don’t see the animation above, a nonanimated version is available; or you can download the free ProdVersion=ShockwaveFlash”>Flash plugin from Macromedia. • mixed swarm of bees and wasps swept by the wind over a flower bed… • bees visit flowers; wasps stay airborne • wasps leave the bed first; swarm separated on the basis of affinity for flowers • in chromatography, a mobile phase sweeps the sample over a stationary phase (as the wind sweeps the swarm over the flower bed) Advantages of chromatography • can separate very complex mixtures • drugs, plastics, flavorings, foods, pesticides, tissue extracts, fuels, air samples, water samples, … • very small sample sizes • separated components ca
