Which separation technique is commonly used to separate solids from liquids or gases?

Filtration is a widely used separation technique specifically designed to separate solids from liquids or gases. This process involves passing a mixture through a filter medium, which allows the liquid or gas to pass through while trapping the solid particles. This application is prevalent in many fields, including analytical chemistry, environmental science, and pharmaceuticals, where it is often necessary to purify liquids or gases by removing unwanted solid impurities.

The efficiency of filtration depends on factors such as the particle size of the solids and the pore size of the filter. Various types of filters can be employed depending on the specific requirements of the separation, including paper filters, membrane filters, and sintered glass.

The other techniques listed serve different purposes. For example, centrifugation separates components based on their density but typically requires spinning the mixture at high speeds. Chromatography is a method for separating mixtures based on differential partitioning between two phases and is generally more suited for separating liquid or gas phases rather than solid-liquid combinations alone. Distillation is a separation process based on differences in boiling points and is not applicable in the same context for solid-liquid or solid-gas separations.