Eluent

In chromatography an eluent is the liquid (liquid chromatography), gas (gas chromatography) or supercritical fluid (supercritical fluid chromatography) entering a chromatographic bed (e.g. a column) used to effect a separation by "elution". [ cite web|url=http://goldbook.iupac.org/E02040.html |title=IUPAC Gold Book: eluent |accessdate=2008-09-28 |publisher=International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry ] The "eluate" is what comes out of the chromatographic bed for collection. The elution time is the time required for an analyte to exit the system.

An often related term is "mobile phase." In chromatography, the mobile phase consists of the sample being separated or analyzed "and" the solvent that moves the sample through the column. In contrast, the eluent, is just that solvent.

References