Gas chromatography (GC) is a common type of
chromatography used in
analytical chemistry for
separating and analyzing compounds that can be
vaporized without
decomposition. Typical uses of GC include testing the purity of a particular substance, or separating the different components of a mixture (the relative amounts of such components can also be determined). In some situations, GC may help in identifying a compound. In
preparative chromatography, GC can be used to prepare pure compounds from a mixture.