EMPIRICAL ESTIMATION OF BOTH A SIZE-EXCLUSION FACTOR AND AN ADSORPTION PARAMETER BY THE COMBINED USE OF A MODIFIED MULTIPLE-FRONTAL ANALYSIS METHOD AND MODEL SIMULATIONS FOR THE CHROMATOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS WITH LINEAR ADSORPTION AND SIZE-EXCLUSION PHENOMENA

A multiple-frontal analysis (MFA) method, which was based on the data from multiple-frontal experiment, was reported to provide the most reliable adsorption parameters, particularly for the design of continuous chromatographic processes. However, if size-exclusion phenomenon occurs simultaneously with adsorption, the application of the MFA method is impracticable unless the size-exclusion factor is known beforehand. To address this issue, we developed the strategy of estimating empirically both adsorption parameter and size-exclusion factor on the basis of the multiple-frontal experimental data for a linear isotherm system. First, the existing MFA method was modified in such a way that the data related to the adsorption equilibrium of interest could be obtained without having any information on the size-exclusion factor. The result from such a modified MFA method was then applied to a series of repetitive simulations based on the reformed column model. Finally, the result from such simulation works was combined with the result from the modified MFA method, which could eventually allow the calculation of the adsorption parameter. It was confirmed from a case study that the aforementioned strategy was highly effective in estimating empirically both the adsorption parameter and the size-exclusion factor on the basis of the multiple-frontal experimental data