gas chromatography

American  

[gas kroh-muh-tog-ruh-fee] / ˈgæs ˌkroʊ məˈtɒg rə fi /

noun

Chemistry.

1. chromatography in which a substance is converted into vapor and mixed with a gaseous element, as nitrogen, then separated and quantified by preferential adsorption by a solid or liquid element.

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gas chromatography British  

noun

1. Also called: gas-liquid chromatography.  a technique for analysing a mixture of volatile substances in which the mixture is carried by an inert gas through a column packed with a selective adsorbent and a detector records on a moving strip the conductivity of the gas leaving the tube. Peaks on the resulting graph indicate the presence of a particular component

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Etymology

Origin of gas chromatography

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Using two-dimensional gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry, they detected more than 900 chemical signatures, representing both known and previously unidentified compounds.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

The researchers used a technique called gas chromatography to separate the different smells inside the sarcophagus that combined to make its scent.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

After letting the chemicals interact in the chamber for up to 2 days, the team took samples and injected them into a gas chromatography mass spectrometer.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 11, 2023

They work with gas chromatography mass spectrometry instruments that separate chemical mixtures and identify the components at a molecular level.

From Washington Post • Nov. 4, 2019

Other geologists use gas chromatography to analyze liquids and gases trapped in glacial ice or rocks.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017