eluíció

Eluíció is a term derived from the Latin word "eluiere," meaning to wash out or dissolve. In scientific contexts, particularly in chemistry and analytical techniques, eluición refers to the process of separating components of a mixture. This is achieved by passing a mobile phase, which can be a liquid or a gas, through a stationary phase. The mobile phase carries the components of the mixture with it, but different components interact with the stationary phase to varying degrees.

Components that have weaker interactions with the stationary phase will be carried along more quickly by the mobile phase and will therefore elute, or come out, from the stationary phase sooner. Conversely, components that have stronger interactions with the stationary phase will move more slowly and will elute later. This differential migration allows for the separation of the mixture's constituents.

The technique of chromatography is a prime example of eluición in practice. In gas chromatography or liquid chromatography, a sample is introduced, and the mobile phase continuously flows over or through the stationary phase (which can be a solid, liquid, or gel). As the mobile phase moves, the individual compounds in the sample separate based on their differing affinities for the stationary phase and their solubility in the mobile phase. The separated components are then detected as they elute from the column. The term can also be used in other contexts, such as in mining to describe the washing out of valuable minerals from ore.