Simultaneous determination of binary diffusion coefficients from multiple response curves by chromatographic measurements.

The chromatographic impulse response technique with a polymer coated capillary column was applied to measurements of infinite dilution binary diffusion coefficients D and retention factors k in supercritical carbon dioxide by injecting a hexane solution dissolving a mixture of three unsaturated fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. The coefficients were simultaneously estimated by the curve fitting analysis even from partially overlapping response curves with the resolution of 0.8. The D and k values for each solute were able to be so obtained as accurately as those determined by individually injecting a single component solution. Almost no effect of the interaction among the components in the mixture was found from various approaching ways for curve fitting and the consecutive injection of the mixture at a certain interval.