A measurable dimensionless metric of tradeoff between separation, time and pressure in chromatography – the kinetic performance factor (e_c) is introduced. Measurable the same way for all LC and GC columns (open-tubular, packed, monolithic, pillar-array, etc.) regardless of retention mechanism, e_c supersedes metrics of a column structural quality such as dimensionless plate height (h), Bristow-Knox separation impedance (SI), Golay specific performance index (SPI) and others. Peak capacity, and other separation performance measures of a chromatographic system are proportional to e_c. To find e_c of a column, there is no need to know the column unmeasurable parameters such as h, stationary phase porosity, resistance factor, and others. To theoretically predict the separation-time performance of a particular column with known e_c, two measurable parameters – a column effective diameter (d_eff) and nominal diffusivity (D_n) were introduced in addition to e_c. Quantities e_c and D_n represent the properties of column classes while d_eff represents a particular column. The use of parameters d_eff, e_c and D_n for evaluation of relations between efficiency and void time (t_M) in columns of several types has been demonstrated. It is always more time-efficient to use maximum available instrumental pressure (Δp_max) for obtaining a predetermined column efficiency even if that efficiency is relatively low so that operation at Δp_max requires non-optimal flow. It has been also demonstrated that reducing the characteristic cross-sectional dimension (d_eff, particle size of a packed column, internal diameter of and open-tubular column, etc.) of a column operating at the same Δp_max reduces the column efficiency with the benefit of much larger reduction in the analysis time.

色谱中分离度，时间和压力之间权衡的可衡量的无量纲度量–动力学性能因子（e _c）被引入。可测量的相同的方式对所有LC和GC柱（开管，包装，单片，柱状阵列等），无论保持机构，ê _Ç取代版本的列结构质量的度量，例如无量纲板高度（ħ），布里斯托-诺克斯分离阻抗（SI），高莱比性能指数（SPI）等。色谱系统的峰容量和其他分离性能指标与e _c成正比。找e _c对于色谱柱，不需要知道不可测量的参数，例如h，固定相孔隙率，阻力系数等。为了从理论上预测具有已知e _c的特定色谱柱的分离时间性能，除e _c之外，还引入了两个可测量的参数–色谱柱有效直径（d _eff）和标称扩散率（D _n）。数量e _c和D _n代表列类别的属性，而d _eff代表特定列。使用参数d _eff，已经证明了用于评估几种类型的塔中的效率与无效时间（t _M）之间的关系的e _c和D _n。使用最大可用仪器压力（Δp _max）以获得预定的色谱柱效率总是更省时的，即使该效率相对较低，因此在Δp _max的操作需要非最佳流量。还证明了在相同的Δp _max下操作的色谱柱的特征横截面尺寸（d _eff，填充柱的粒径，内径和开管式色谱柱的内径等）的减小。 大大降低了分析时间，从而降低了色谱柱效率。