A chromatographic theory based on the concept of a layer of equilibrium adsorption

The LEA model has been analyzed by comparing to other Chromatographic theoretical approaches. In the LEA model a layer of equilibrium adsorption, L_e, serves as an effective kinetic constant. For the layer L_e the concentration issuing from this layer is in equilibrium with the average value of adsorption on the whole layer at any moment of time. The value of L_e is determined from all factors which broaden the Chromatographie zone. Such an approach permits us to combine the features of the mass balance (solute continuity in a Chromatographie column), of the mass transfer phenomenon, and of the adsorption isotherm into a single first order differential equation. Apart from other layer-by-layer models, the LEA model supposes that over the whole column a continuous (real) distribution of adsorption a (L, t) and concentration c (L, t) is observed. The usefulness of the LEA model in developing a Chromatographic theory has been discussed.