Horizontal Separating Chambers

The Horizontal Separating Chamber is a specialized development unit designed to optimize thin-layer chromatography (TLC) by supporting horizontal plate placement. Unlike vertical chambers that rely on upward capillary motion, this system enables solvent to spread laterally and evenly across the TLC plate, minimizing chromatographic distortion and improving separation accuracy.

Engineered from high-grade borosilicate glass or solvent-resistant polymer, the chamber provides excellent chemical durability and thermal resistance. It includes a tightly fitting lid—flat or domed—to prevent solvent evaporation and maintain internal vapor saturation during the separation process. The chamber’s flat base can support TLC plates up to 20×20 cm and may include optional supports or holders to maintain stable horizontal alignment during development.

The horizontal layout promotes uniform contact between the stationary phase and the mobile phase, yielding reproducible and sharp separations. Transparent sidewalls offer full visibility, allowing real-time observation of solvent front progression and band movement. This makes the Horizontal Separating Chamber highly suitable for laboratories that require precision, consistency, and solvent efficiency in their TLC workflows.

Its applications span pharmaceutical quality control, analytical research, food safety, and environmental monitoring. It is particularly valuable in pharmaceutical labs for verifying compound purity and in food labs for identifying colorants and preservatives. Environmental chemists benefit from its reliability in detecting pollutants in trace-level samples, while educational labs use it for teaching and demonstration due to its clear results and ease of use.

Reusable and easy to clean, the Horizontal Separating Chamber is built to support long-term, high-frequency lab use. Whether you’re conducting micro-scale assays or routine chromatographic screenings, this chamber delivers consistent, high-performance results in a compact and user-friendly format.

The Horizontal Separating Chambers exploit the advantages of the High Performance TLC layer (HPTLC) in an optimum manner: small grain size of 5 µm, improved packing, and a greater number of theoretical plates. This separating chamber is price-worthy and intended for the time and cost-saving HPTLC- plate format of 50 x 50 mm and the common format of 100 x 100 mm. Optimum separation is obtained on the shortest possible runs. The H-separating chamber permits good control of developing conditions, optionally with a flow medium vapour-saturated atmosphere or without pre-exposure to vapour. Ambient atmospheric pollution with solvent vapours is minimized, even under congested working conditions. The chambers are made of solvent-resistant PTFE, precision milled to the required dimensions. It is closed with a 4 mm-thick glass lid. An easily cleanable glass frit rod brings the flow medium to the layer.

Features

• Orientation: Horizontal TLC plate development for enhanced uniformity

• Material: Chemically resistant borosilicate glass or transparent polymer

• Lid: Flat or dome-type, tightly sealing cover for minimal solvent loss

• Plate Size: Supports standard and mini TLC plates up to 20×20 cm

• Solvent Usage: Even solvent distribution with minimal volume required

• Interior Design: Flat base with optional plate holders or channels for alignment

• Observation: Transparent walls for real-time monitoring of development

• Temperature Tolerant: Suitable for heated or ambient TLC applications

• Reusability: Durable, easy to clean, and built for regular lab use