Hi, I'm in a 10th grade chemistry class and I chose to do a science project on Adsorption Chromatography using vinyl tubes filled with corn starch, and then loaded with various water based inks with a water developer. I would like to know if anyone out there knows where I could learn some more information about chromatography in general, like why the colors separate in the order they do depending on the powder or developer I use, and why the colors only sometimes separate into primary colors. Thank you very much. Your help is deeply appreciated.

Stationary Phase

The stationary phase in HPLC refers to the solid support contained within the column over which the mobile phase continuously flows. The sample solution is injected into the mobile phase of the assay through the injector port. As the sample solution flows with the mobile phase through the stationary phase, the components of that solution will migrate according to the non-covalent interactions of the compounds with the stationary phase. The chemical interactions of the stationary phase and the sample with the mobile phase, determines the degree of migration and separation of the components contained in the sample. For example, those samples which have stronger interactions with the stationary phase than with the mobile phase will elute from the column less quickly, and thus have a longer retention time, while the reverse is also true. Columns containing various types of stationary phases are commercially available. Some of the more common stationary phases include: Liquid-Liquid, Liquid-Solid (Adsorption), Size Exclusion, Normal Phase, Reverse Phase, Ion Exchange, and Affinity.

Liquid-Solid operates on the basis of polarity. Compounds that possess functional groups cabable of strong hydrogen bonding will adhere more tightly to the stationary phase than less polar compoounds. Thus, less polar compounds will elute from the column faster than compounds that are highly polar.

Liquid-Liquid operates on the same basis as liquid-solid. However, this technique is better suited for samples of medium polarity that are soluble in weakly polar to polar organic solvents. The separation of non-electrolytes is achieved by matching the polarities of the sample and the stationary phase and using a mobile phase which possesses a markedly different polarity.

Brigid,
I urge you to search the World-Wide Web under the keyword "HPLC". I don't know exactly what you'll find, but I do know there's a lot of information out there.
Another good source is some of the textbooks you can find in a college chemistry library. If there is such a library near you, see if you can get to use it. (Don't expect to check out books, but you can xerox occasional pages that you find useful.)
The problem with using forums like this one for such questions is that to answer such general questions amounts to writing a short text book on the subject. The previous contributor obviously took some time to reply, for which you should be grateful.
Good luck, and if you have any more specific questions or need recommendations for books, those would be good quetions to ask here.

Actually, my previous contribution was lifted from a website.