An HPLC column is a crucial part of a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system that separates components of a liquid mixture. It is a tube packed with a stationary phase, which are small particles that interact differently with each component of the sample as it’s pushed through by a mobile phase solvent under high pressure. This differential interaction causes the components to separate and exit the column at different times, allowing them to be identified and quantified by a detector.
A GC column is the central component of a gas chromatograph, used to separate and analyze volatile chemical compounds. It works by passing a gaseous mixture through a heated tube containing a stationary phase, separating compounds based on their differing physical and chemical properties and interactions with the stationary phase. There are two main types: packed columns and capillary columns, which are further categorized by their stationary phase polarity for different applications.
Types of chromatography include gas chromatography (GC) for volatile compounds, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for complex liquid mixtures, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and paper chromatography for simple analysis, and column chromatography for purification using a stationary solid phase.
