title: An estimation of the column efficiency made by analyzing tailing peak profiles.
abstract: It has been shown previously that most columns are not radially homogeneous but exhibit radial distributions of the mobile phase flow velocity and the local efficiency. Both distributions are best approximated by fourth-order polynomial, with the velocity in the column center being maximum for most packed columns and minimum for monolithic columns. These distributions may be an important source of tailing of elution peaks. The numerical calculation of elution peaks shows how peak tailing is related to the characteristics of these two distributions. An approach is proposed that permits estimations of the true efficiency and of the degree of column radial heterogeneity by inversing this calculation and using the tailing profiles of the elution peaks that are experimentally measured. This method was applied in two concrete cases of tailing peak profiles that had been previously reported and were analyzed by applying this new inverse approach. The results obtained prove its validity and demonstrate that this numerical method is effective for deriving the true column efficiency from experimental tailing profiles.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science and Engineering for Research, University of Toyama, 3190, Gofuku, Toyama 930-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyabe
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.forename: Nobuho
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guiochon
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005898:Glass; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide