Rate separation processes are based on differences in the kinetic properties of the components of a mixture, such as the velocity of migration in a medium or of diffusion through semipermeable barriers.

The separation of mixtures of proteins is often difficult because of the similarity of the properties of such molecules. When proteins are dissolved in water, they ionize (form electrically charged particles). Both positive and negative electrical charges can occur on various parts of the complex molecule, and, depending on the pH of the solution, a protein molecule as a whole will be either net positively or negatively charged. For a given set of solution conditions, the net charges on different proteins usually are unequal.

Electrophoresis takes advantage of these charge differences to effect a separation. In this method, two electrodes are positioned at opposite ends of a paper, starch gel, column, or other appropriate supporting medium. A salt solution is used to moisten the medium and to connect the electrodes electrically. The mixture to be separated is placed in the center of the supporting medium, and an electrical potential is applied. The positively charged proteins move toward the negatively charged electrode (cathode), while the negatively charged proteins migrate toward the positively charged electrode (anode). The migration velocity in each direction depends not only on the charge on the proteins but also on their size: thus proteins with the same charge can be separated.

This example demonstrates the separation of charged species on the basis of differences in migration velocity in an electric field. The extent of such a separation (based on the rate of a process) is time-dependent, a feature that distinguishes such separations from those based upon equilibria.

The velocity can be either positive or negative, depending on direction. It depends not only on the size and electrical charge of the molecule but also on the conditions of the experiment (e.g., voltage between the two electrodes). In analogy to equilibrium methods, the separation factor can be defined as the ratio of migration velocities for two proteins:

The extent of separation (i.e., how far one protein is removed from another) depends on the different distances traversed by the two proteins:where t is the time allowed for migration. Thus the extent of separation is directly proportional to the time of migration in the electric field.

Another major category of rate separation methods is based on the diffusion of molecules through semipermeable barriers. Besides differing in charge, proteins also differ in size, and this latter property can be used as the basis of separation. If a vessel is divided in half by a porous membrane, and a solution of different proteins is placed in one section and pure water in the other, some of the proteins will be able to diffuse freely through the membrane, while others will be too large to fit through the holes or pores. Still others will be able to just squeeze through the pores and so will diffuse more slowly through the membrane. The extent of separation will thus be dependent on the time allowed for diffusion to take place.

Table 2 lists the various barrier separation methods discussed in this article. The differences in the methods involve the type of substances diffusing through the semipermeable barrier and whether an external field or pressure is applied across the membrane.

Particle separations

Up to this point, only separations at the molecular level have been discussed. Separations of particles are also important in both industry and research. Particle separations are performed for one of two purposes: (1) to remove particles from gases or liquids, or (2) to separate particles of different sizes or properties. The first reason underlies many important applications. The electronics industry requires dust-free “clean rooms” for assembly of very small components. The second purpose deals with the classification of particles from samples containing particles of many different sizes. Many technical processes using finely divided materials require that the particle size be as uniform as possible. In addition, the separation of cells is important in the biotechnology industry. The more important particle separation methods are filtration, sedimentation, elutriation, centrifugation, particle electrophoresis, electrostatic precipitation, flotation, and screening, which are described in a later section.