uses powder coated with oil in capillary tubes and placed in an oven (vary temperature)
to produce stationary phase
unreactive gas (nitrogen/ helium) used as mobile phase
after injection sample is carried along by gas so the mixture separates
some moved along by gas, some retained by oil each to a different degree
different retention times
detector measures thermal conductivity of gas
components fed into NMR/ mass/ infrared spectrometer
match retention time with known substance under same conditions