Extraction based on the flow-injection principle : Part 6. Film formation and dispersion in liquid—liquid segmented flow extraction systems

The dispersion mechanism in flow-injection extraction systems has been investigated. The phase with the highest affinity for the tubing material forms a thin film on the wall (e.g., 0.055 mm in a 0.7-mm i.d. PTFE tube with pentanol/water at a flow velocity of 11 cm s^?1). The film thickness increases linearly with increasing flow velocity and can be related to the viscosity/interfacial tension ratio in such a way that a low ratio indicates a thin film. The analyte is extracted into the film and into the adjacent segments. The film is stationary relative to the moving segments and this results in a backward transport of analyte molecules giving rise to dispersion. The thicker the film, the larger the dispersion. By decreasing the tube diameter and the flow velocity, lower dispersion results. Minimum dispersion is obtained for systems in which the phase carrying the analyte does not form the film.