Sorption experiments are often conducted in gravimetric sorption columns where several deviations from ideal conditions could potentially occur. For example, heat effects due to solvent sorption, errors introduced due to concentration dependent diffusion coefficients and swelling are unavoidable. In this study, we develop a model to study the importance of the combination of these effects in obtaining diffusion coefficients from sorption experiments. The model is used to explore a wide range of operating conditions and physical parameters. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.