USES OF DIGITAL COMPUTERS IN THEORETICAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY .3. SOME COMPUTATIONAL EXPERIMENTS ON IRREGULARITIES IN COUNTERCURRENT DISTRIBUTION

These computations were formulated to answer some questions concerning variations in construction and operation of countercurrent distribution apparatus. An optimum, ideal separation was simulated for passage of two compounds through a countercurrent distribution, followed by simulation of several departures from the optimum. A significant decrease in separating efficiency was found to be produced by deviation of upper-lower volume ratio from the optimum value, retainment of a portion of the upper (traveling) phase after transfer, and originally introducing solute into more than one tube before beginning the transfers. Little effect on separating efficiency was produced by randomness in tube volumes or randomness in upper (traveling) phase volumes due to time variation of solvent input. Variations in the distribution ratios can also cause significant enhancement or deterioration in separating efficiency. © 1969 AOCS Press.