Countercurrent chromatography

Countercurrent chromatography (CCC) is a liquid chromatography technique that uses two immiscible liquid phases and no solid support. One liquid acts as the stationary phase and the other as the mobile phase. In Dual Flow CCC/CPC both liquid phases are flowing, as would be common in counter current process extractors. The liquid stationary phase(s) is held in place by gravity or by centrifugal force. The gravity method is called droplet counter current chromatography (DCCC). There are two modes of centrifugal force CCC: hydrostatic and hydrodynamic. In the hydrostatic method, the column is spun about a central axis. These devices are marketed under the commercial name centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). Dynamic mode is often called high-speed CCC (HSCCC) and relies on the Archimedes' screw force in a helical coil to produce the separation.