Peak broadening in paper chromatography and related techniques : IV. The mechanism of the mass transfer term in paper chromatography

Abstract

The mechanism of peak broadening in paper chromatography is investigated by comparing the peak widths obtained in chromatography with those caused only by diffusion, for a set of amino acids of widely differing RF values and with eight kinds of Whatman paper.

The results show that longitudinal diffusion occurs both in the mobile and the stationary phase in paper chromatography.

The mass transfer term is composed of a contribution of unevenness of flow throughout the paper and a contribution of the slowness of attainment of the partition equilibrium between the mobile and the stationary phase. The resistance to attainment of equilibrium resides predominantly in the mobile phase.