The general packed column: an analytical solution

The transient behaviour of a packed column is considered. The column, unifo rmly packed on a macroscopic scale, is multi-structured on the microscopic level: the solid phase consists of particles, which may differ in incidence , shape or size, and other relevant physical properties. Transport in the f luid phase happens by convective how and longitudinal diffusion. The adsorp tion rate in the column is determined by the combined effects of mass trans fer through a thin liquid film around the particles, diffusion into the par ticles and first-order loss in the particles. An analytical solution to the problem is given in the form of an infinite integral. The solution method is worked out in detail for three special cases, each with only one type of particle in the solid phase, in the shape of a sphere, or a finite cylinde r, or a rectangular parallelepiped.