Liquid Chromatography Systems

Abstract

The word chromatography is a combination of two Greek words, chroma (meaning color) and graphein (meaning to write)—the resultant word literally means “color writing.” Chromatography systems are used to separate a complex mixture into its components for further examination or identification. A chromatograph separates components of a mixture by taking advantage of the fact that each component has a different affinity for a particular media. All forms of chromatography use this principle and employ two different media—a sorbent-packed column and a solvent—to separate a mixture into its components. The relative affinity of each component of a mixture to both the stationary phase and the mobile phase causes each component to pass through the column with a unique transit time. This is the basic principle of chromatography. The sorbent-packed column is referred to as the “stationary phase” probably because it does not move. Some of the unknown substance is first mixed with a solvent, called the “mobile phase,” to form a “sample.” This can lead to THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ...