Buffer capacity in multiple chemical reaction systems involving solid phases

The buffer capacity of a chemical species in a multiple chemical reaction system is discussed in terms of a special class of stoichiometrically unique reactions referred to as response reactions (RERs). More specifically, it is shown that the buffer capacity may be partitioned into a sum of contributions associated with RERs. This finding provides a deeper understanding of the factors that determine the buffer capacity. In particular, the main contributions to the buffer capacity come from the RERs involving the most abundant species. Concomitantly, the RERs approach provides a simple stoichiometric algorithm for the derivation and analysis of the buffer capacity that may be easily implemented into a computer software.