Effect of wall velocities on the determination of optimal separation times in electrical field flow fractionation (EFFF)

Electrical field flow fractionation (EFFF) has two perpendicular driving forces that help to produce an optimal separation of solute in a mixture Giddings, Science 1993; 260:1456–1465]. For Couette flow based devices, the ratio of the velocity of the capillary walls offers an extra parameter that can be exploited to enhance the efficiency of EFFF applications. The analysis of the effects of this parameter on optimal times of separation is the subject matter of this contribution. The use of this additional parameter increases flexibility in the design of new devices for the improvement of the separation of solutes, such as proteins, DNA, and pharmaceuticals, as it will be illustrated with the results of this analysis (Jaroszeski et al., 2000 ; Trinh et al., 1999 ). The analysis has been illustrated by selecting parameter values that represent a number of potential useful applications. A set of five parameters (i.e., z, the valence; µ, electrophoretic mobility; Pe, Peclet number; Ω, the orthogonal applied electrical field; and R, the ratio of channel wall velocities) has been combined to obtain the best operating conditions for optimal separation of solutes. Results indicate that R, the ratio of the channel wall velocities, is actually the most important driving parameter.