Computer‐aided analysis of the electrophoretic regulating function omega

The omega function, defined for strong and monovalent weak electrolytes, is a useful regulating principle for the description of electrophoretic processes. The omega function profile, which is established by the initial electrolyte distribution in an electrophoretic column, will not be changed by current flow. The function is based solely upon migration and is only applicable to those regions where diffusional dispersion can be neglected. Computer simulations are used to follow the evolution of the concentration gradients of various electrophoretic systems and to verify the proposed constancy of the omega function profile. The limitations of the theory are investigated and the value of these predictions to the experimentalist is discussed.