In literature three different models describing the breakthrough pressure were identified: the Young-Laplace model, the Kim-Hairrott-Zha model and the Franken et al. model. However, large differences between experimental results and model are often reported and a comparative study is lacking. In the present study, the different models were experimentally validated by measuring breakthrough pressures in liquid/liquid systems. The average differences between model and experimental results for the three models were respectively 37.5%, 26.7% and 32.2%. The Kim-Harriott-Zha model obtained the best results, however for the model it is advised that a solvent system with a low contact angle is searched to determine the maximum correction angle. Therefore a fourth model was proposed omitting this step and yielding an average deviation of 25.0%. (C) 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.