Percolation disorder in chromatographic systems

A pore space model is presented to describe the transport of mass within pore packings of chromatographic columns. The particle pore structure is conceptually represented by a network of capillaries subjected to bond percolation disorder. The efficiency of the system is assessed in terms of a mass dispersivity factor (h) which accounts for the band broadening of the peak response. The results show a large dispersivity at a percolation fraction near the threshold which reflects the critical properties of the structure with respect to connectivity and tortuosity.