Kenneth K. Andersen I and George 5. May

University of New Hampshire I An Inexpensive TLC Tank Durham

T ~ i e advantages of a sandwich-type A wood-handled spatula, its blade cut to 20 mm in TLC tank can be obtaincd a t low cost with the appara- length with a 10 mm-deep rectangle ground out of one tus shown in the figure. Saturation time is kept t,o a side, ma,kes a convenient scraping tool. minimum, visibilit,~ is good, and the tank costs less than $6.

Two 10-mm strips of adsorbent are scraped from parallel sides of a thin layer plate (200 X 200 mm). A I iecond plat,e without adsorbent is used to cover the lirst. Two layers of blot,ting paper, 8 mm wide, are plaocd along t,he scmped sides to separate the plates. These strips should not touch the adsorbent. Sprii~g clips hold the plat,cs in plaw. The sandwich tank is dippcd into thc developing solvent held in a paper chramat,ography solvcut tray. Two plates may he devclopcd together by replaring the uncoated cover plnte wit,h a coated plate.

596 / lournol of Chemical Educofion