Chromatography

Part of a series on
Continuum mechanics
${\displaystyle J=-D{\frac {d\varphi }{dx}}}$ Fick's laws of diffusion
Laws Conservations Mass Momentum Energy Inequalities Clausius–Duhem (entropy)
Solid mechanics Deformation Elasticity linear Plasticity Hooke's law Stress Strain Finite strain Infinitesimal strain Compatibility Bending Contact mechanics frictional Material failure theory Fracture mechanics
Fluid mechanics Fluids Statics · Dynamics Archimedes' principle · Bernoulli's principle Navier–Stokes equations Poiseuille equation · Pascal's law Viscosity (Newtonian · non-Newtonian) Buoyancy · Mixing · Pressure Liquids Adhesion Capillary action Chromatography Cohesion (chemistry) Surface tension Gases Atmosphere Boyle's law Charles's law Combined gas law Fick's law Gay-Lussac's law Graham's law Plasma
Rheology Viscoelasticity Rheometry Rheometer Smart fluids Electrorheological Magnetorheological Ferrofluids
Scientists Bernoulli Boyle Cauchy Charles Euler Fick Gay-Lussac Graham Hooke Newton Navier Noll Pascal Stokes Truesdell
v t e

Part of a series on
Chemistry
Science of matter
Index Outline Glossary History (timeline)
Key components Matter Phase Bond Chemical reaction Ion Acid–base reaction Redox Chemical equilibrium Chemical law
Branches Analytical chemistry Biochemistry Organic chemistry Inorganic chemistry Physical chemistry
Research Chemist (list) List of chemistry awards List of journals List of unsolved problems
Chemistry portal  Category
v t e

In chemical analysis, chromatography is a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture into its components. The mixture is dissolved in a fluid solvent (gas or liquid) called the mobile phase, which carries it through a system (a column, a capillary tube, a plate, or a sheet) on which a material called the stationary phase is fixed. Because the different constituents of the mixture tend to have different affinities for the stationary phase and are retained for different lengths of time depending on their interactions with its surface sites, the constituents travel at different apparent velocities in the mobile fluid, causing them to separate. The separation is based on the differential partitioning between the mobile and the stationary phases. Subtle differences in a compound's partition coefficient result in differential retention on the stationary phase and thus affect the separation.^[1]

Chromatography may be preparative or analytical. The purpose of preparative chromatography is to separate the components of a mixture for later use, and is thus a form of purification.^[2][3] This process is associated with higher costs due to its mode of production.^[4][5] Analytical chromatography is done normally with smaller amounts of material and is for establishing the presence or measuring the relative proportions of analytes in a mixture. The two types are not mutually exclusive.^[6]