Abstract
A new theoretical treatment of the solute distribution in gel chromatography is proposed. Practical gel chromatography can be regarded as one based on a combined function of the molecular sieve effect and the partition effect. Introducing the concept of a regular solution to the column system of gel chromatography, the contribution of the partition effect can be estimated from the data on the physical properties of the solute, the solvent, and the gel matrix. The argument being proposed is supported by the experimental data on the gel chromatography of metal (II, III) chelates with acetylacetone and normal alkanes previously obtained in the systems of a poly(vinyl acetate) gel and various eluting solvents.