15 Examples of Chromatography

The chromatography is a method of separating mixtures complexes widely used in different branches of the science. Employs a set of techniques based on the principle of selective retention to separate the components of a mixture in a high state of purity, or to identify them in a mixture and determine their proportions. For example: to review crime scenes, in a urine test, to separate inks.

The chromatographic method It consists of the separation of the components of a mixture using the different affinity of each one for a stationary phase and a mobile phase. To substance that you want to separate is called an analyte. Both phases can be described as:

The method then works by injecting the sample (mixture of substances to be separated) into the mobile phase. Then the mobile phase (with the sample) passes through the stationary phase and the components are separated according to how related they are to one phase or the other. If we have a two-component sample, for example, the more related component of the stationary phase will separate from it after the less related component, which will be moving with the mobile phase.

The selectivity of each component by both phases depends on the properties of the components and the phases (the polarity of each, the pore size of the stationary phase if it is solid or a resin, the electrochemical properties, among others).

Once the components of the mixture have been separated, they pass through some type of detector that can be used to identify them and to measure their concentration or some property that represents a measure of their quantity in the sample. The detectorsDepending on their type, they can measure some physical property of the component of interest, such as its color, its refractive index, its electrical conductivity, among others.

It can serve you:

Chromatography examples

1. Spilling wine on a white tablecloth. When the wine dries in contact with the air, the various substances that compose it will dye the white of the fabric a different color.
2. In blood tests. Chromatography of blood samples is often performed in order to separate and identify contained substances in it, normally imperceptible, from the color they reflect on a support or subjected to light specific. Such is the case of a drug or a specific substance, such as alcohol.
3. In a urine test. Urine, even more than blood, is a mixture of various compounds, whose presence or absence reveals the functioning of the organism. Therefore, a chromatographic separation can be performed to look for unusual residues, such as blood, you go out, glucose or drugs.
4. To review crime scenes. As in films, fabrics, fibers, fabrics or other supports are taken to observe the separation by adherence of different substances, such as semen or blood, which with the naked eye could pass unnoticed.
5. To do food health checks. Since the reaction of the food When subjected to a chromatographic spectrum, it can be observed if there is some type of improper substance or product of microbial agents in them from a small sample.
6. To check contamination levels. Whether in air or water, the reaction of dissolved substances and imperceptible, using a specific support that allows distinguishing between the compounds, allowing the water to dry, for example.
7. Complex microbiology tests. This technique is widely used to combat diseases such as Ebola, for example because it allows the distinction between the most and least effective antibodies in the face of the disease.
8. For petrochemical applications. Chromatography is useful in the process of separating hydrocarbons of petroleum and its transformation into various refined materials, which have extremely dissimilar and observable properties and adhesions.
9. For fire checking. To determine whether or not they were provoked, chromatography of the residues is often used to determine evidence the presence of unexpected substances whose reactivity is different from the rest, such as some fossil fuels.
10. To separate inks. Since inks are made up of various pigments in a liquid medium, it is possible to separate these pigments by chromatography and reveal the differences between each one.
11. To detect radioactivity. Since radioactive elements have different activities and lifetimes than ordinary matter, they can often be identified using this technique in the laboratory.
12. To determine the purity of a substance. In the industry High purity materials are often required, especially gases (the volatility of which makes this difficult) and a mechanism to evaluate this is the detection by chromatography of residues of other substances, from the use of a liquid static phase and a mobile phase soda.
13. Wine study. In the detection of monovarietal wines, chromatography is often used to know if there are mixed with other strains, which will present different characteristics detectable in the presence of a static medium different.
14. To control the industrial distillation of spirits. Using gas chromatography, the quality building blocks present in the gas can be identified and quantified. liquor (ethanol, methanol, acetaldehyde, acetal, etc.), which allows responsible administration of said compounds.
15. To make quality studies of olive oils. Chromatography is essential in the review and classification of olive oil, since it provides a study of the fat profile, acidity and peroxide value present in the mixture.

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