Theoretical Plate

Name:
Theoretical Plate
Detailed information:
Any contacting device in a fractionating column, such as packing, grids, or screens, that effects the same degree of separation of vapor from liquid as one simple distillation. A column that gives the same separation as 10 successive simple distillations is considered to have 10 theoretical plates. The effectiveness of a fractionating column is measured in terms of theoretical plates. As many as 100 theoretical plates are used in laboratory and industrial operations. The total column height divided by the number of theoretical plates is known as HETP (height equivalent to a theoretical plate). This concept is also used in chromatographic techniques.