abstract
- Chromatography techniques are widely used for the characterization of mixtures and as methods for separating components and/or solutes within a mixture. Such separation takes place on the basis of the concentration of solute which is distributed in a moving fluid known as the mobile phase and a stationary phase attached to the system. This chapter discusses four different chromatographic techniques employed for mixture separation, identification, and purification aimed at qualitative and quantitative analyses. The chapter fully explores gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ion chromatography (IC), and high temperature-gas permeation chromatography (HT-GPC) to understand the basic mechanism, history, advantages and disadvantages, and applications of each technique. The chapter also provides a troubleshooting section that delivers information regarding common errors that may occur when analyzing samples with chromatography methods in addition to potential causes and solutions to address the problems.