Sample, load, effect volume, maximum

To demonstrate the effect in more detail a series of experiments was carried out similar to that of volume overload, but in this case, the sample mass was increased in small increments. The retention distance of the front and the back of each peak was measured at the nominal points of inflection (0.6065 of the peak height) and the curves relating the retention data produced to the mass of sample added are shown in Figure 7. In Figure 7 the change in retention time with sample load is more obvious the maximum effect was to reduce the retention time of anthracene and the minimum effect was to the overloaded solute itself, benzene. Despite the reduction in retention time, the band width of anthracene is still little effected by the overloaded benzene. There is, however, a significant increase in the width of the naphthalene peak which... 

The maximum concentrations which can be injected without peak broadening and change in elution volume are listed for various injection volumes and molecular weights in Table 4.1(d). These values vary with column characteristics and are not transferable, but they illustrate how the column loading must be substantially reduced as the molecular mass of the sample increases. It arises from the reduction in pores within the gel which separate higher-molecular-mass species, and also because of localized viscosity effects. 

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