What is chromatography primarily used for?

Chromatography is primarily used as a technique to separate components in a mixture due to differences in their interactions with a stationary phase and a mobile phase. In this process, a sample mixture is introduced onto a stationary medium (like a column packed with a solid material or a layer of liquid) and a solvent (the mobile phase) moves through or over that medium. As the mixture travels along the stationary phase, different components will move at different rates depending on their affinity to the stationary phase versus the mobile phase. This separation allows for the identification and purification of the individual components of the mixture.

The effectiveness of chromatography makes it a crucial technique in various fields, including chemistry, biology, and environmental science, for analyzing substances like pigments, pharmaceuticals, and pollutants.