ABSTRACT
In attempting to address the solution of most problems of any degree of complexity, it is frequently necessary to divide the problem into a series of parts which may be resolved in a manner which will elucidate the approach to solution of the primary problem. Forensic analyses almost invariably require this type of treatment. In physical/chemical analyses of mixtures or solutions the analyst is most fortunate to have available to him some rather powerful tools to pursue these analyses. If the material to be characterized is soluble in aqueous or organic solvents under reasonable conditions, i.e., at temperatures below 100°C or having a vapor pressure of about 1 torr at 300°C or lower, with structural integrity, then chromatographic means of separation and characterization are usually appropriate. Liquid or supercritical fluid chromatography are techniques which may be considered for those compounds which do not have sufficient vapor pressure or thermal stability to be separated by gas chromatography (GC). It should be noted that these are three complementary techniques; no one of them is applicable to some analyses. This discussion will cover gas chromatography.
