In: Chemistry
13.Explain each term in the Van Deempter Equation (Below). What
major advantage is gained through open tubular GC in reference to
this equation?
The van Deemter equation relates the resolving power (HETP, height equivalent to a theoretical plate) of a chromatographic column to the various flow and kinetic parameters which cause peak broadening, as follows:
Where
In open tubular capillaries, the A term will be zero as the lack of packing means channeling does not occur. In packed columns, however, multiple distinct routes ("channels") exist through the column packing, which results in band spreading. In the latter case, A will not be zero.
The form of the van Deemter equation is such that HETP achieves a minimum value at a particular flow velocity. At this flow rate, the resolving power of the column is maximized, although in practice, the elution time is likely to be impractical. Differentiating the van Deemter equation with respect to velocity, setting the resulting expression equal to zero, and solving for the optimum velocity yields the following:
The Van Deemter equation can be further expanded to:[3]
Where: