Theory, chromatography

There are two fundamental chromatography theories that deal with solute retention and solute dispersion and these are the Plate Theory and the Rate Theory, respectively. It is essential to be familiar with both these theories in order to understand the chromatographic process, the function of the column, and column design. The first effective theory to be developed was the plate theory, which revealed those factors that controlled chromatographic retention and allowed the... 

Contemporary development of chromatography theory has tended to concentrate on dispersion in electro-chromatography and the treatment of column overload in preparative columns. Under overload conditions, the adsorption isotherm of the solute with respect to the stationary phase can be grossly nonlinear. One of the prime contributors in this research has been Guiochon and his co-workers, [27-30]. The form of the isotherm must be experimentally determined and, from the equilibrium data, and by the use of appropriate computer programs, it has been shown possible to calculate the theoretical profile of an overloaded peak. 

The peak width at half height (wq.s) is the distance between each side of a peak, measured at half the peak height. The peak width measured at half height has no significance with respect to chromatography theory. 

Gaussian curve and, thus, also has significance when dealing with chromatography theory. 

In a chromatographic separation, the individual components of a mixture are moved apart in the column due to their different affinities for the stationary phase and, as their dispersion is contained by appropriate system design, the individual solutes can be eluted discretely and resolution is achieved. Chromatography theory has been developed over the last half century, but the two critical theories, the Plate Theory and the Rate Theory, were both well established by 1960. There have been many contributors to chromatography theory over the intervening years but, with the... 

The function (vm + Kvs) is termed the plate volume and so the flow through the column will be measured in plate volumes instead of milliliters. The plate volume is defined as that volume of mobile phase that can contain all the solute in the plate at the equilibrium concentration of the solute in the mobile phase. The meaning of plate volume must be understood, as it is an important concept and is extensively used in different aspects of chromatography theory. 

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