Chromatography

Overview of Common Chromatography Techniques and Key Considerations When Choosing

Chromatography is a highly important analytical technique in chemistry, used to separate and identify components within a mixture. Thanks to its flexibility and high accuracy, common chromatography methods are widely applied in fields such as food testing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and doping analysis.

General principles of chromatography

Although different methods operate in different ways, all common chromatography techniques rely on the separation of substances between two phases: a stationary phase and a mobile phase. Each substance interacts differently with these phases, causing them to separate as they move over time.

The most commonly used chromatography techniques today

Chromatography is diverse and extensive. Below are the techniques most widely used in modern laboratories.

1. High Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC

HPLC is one of the most common chromatography techniques for quantitative analysis. It uses high pressure to push a liquid mobile phase through a column packed with a solid stationary phase. HPLC is ideal for analyzing non volatile or temperature sensitive samples such as proteins, antibiotics, vitamins and food colorants.

2. Gas Chromatography GC

GC is the preferred choice when the sample can be volatilized without decomposition. It is commonly used for the analysis of petroleum products, solvents and pesticide residues. An example is the INSIZE GCT 2400 gas chromatograph for rapid ROHS2.0 O Benzene screening.

3. Thin Layer Chromatography TLC and Paper Chromatography

These are among the simplest and most common chromatography techniques, mainly used for qualitative analysis or rapid screening. You may refer to the Filtratech FL.CH58.F4657 chromatography paper for this category.

The stationary phase consists of a thin layer of material on a glass or aluminum plate for TLC or paper for paper chromatography. The liquid mobile phase travels upward by capillary action. This method is often used for purity checks, educational purposes or preliminary testing.

4. Ion Exchange Chromatography IEC

This technique is used to analyze ions or charged molecules such as amino acids and proteins. The stationary phase contains oppositely charged functional groups that retain the target analytes. For this type, you can refer to the INSIZE HLZ 1000 ion chromatograph.

Choosing the right technique for your analytical needs

Selecting among these common chromatography methods depends entirely on the properties of the sample and the purpose of the analysis.

- If the sample is volatile: choose Gas Chromatography GC.

- If the sample is non volatile or temperature sensitive: choose High Performance Liquid Chromatography HPLC.

- If rapid and low cost screening is needed: choose Thin Layer Chromatography TLC.

EMIN Vietnam provides a full range of common chromatography systems from HPLC and GC to specialized consumables, helping you establish a stable and accurate analytical workflow. Contact EMIN for equipment consultation and competitive quotations.