CHROMATOGRAPHIC PLATE (noun)

 

Chromatographic Plate

A small sheet of glass or aluminum, coated on one side with the substance that makes up the stationary phase in a chromatography experiment. The substance used can be, for example, silica gel or Al2O3, and is usually white in color and feels like chalk. In paper chromatography, the paper can serve as both the material of which the plate is constructed and the stationary phase.