Comments on “Phase equilibrium method for determination of desorption efficiencies” and some extensions for use in methods development

Abstract

Dommer and Melcher recently published a paper entitled, "Phase Equilibrium Method for Determination of Desortpion Efficiencies". The equilibrium expression which they assumed is shown to be a special case of the langmuir isotherm. The equation they derived relating the desorption efficiency, the equilibrium constant and the ratio of the weight of the solid to that of the liquid phase is discussed; the use of this relationship to demonstrate the invariance of the equilibrium constant, K, with changing ratios of liquid to solid phase is shown to lead to large uncertainties in K when the desorption efficiency is high. Use of their equation to derive expressions useful in methods development are presented and their potential utility discussed.