Concentration Effects in Size Exclusion Chromatography Under Equilibrium Stationary Conditions

Abstract

In size exclusion chromatography the elution volume increases with increasing concentration of injected polymer solutions. Several particular processes contribute to this concentration effect. Under model equilibrium stationary conditions, where the phases remain immobile, it is possible to eliminate dynamic phenomena connected with the higher viscosity of polymer solution in the chromatographic zone. The only factors operative here are the effect of changes in the effective size of macromolecules in solution with a change in concentration and the effect of the varying accessible pore volume with varying concentration. The ratio of these two contributions has been investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical calculations indicated that with both phenomena operating simultaneously, the elution volumes may increase or decrease with increasing concentration according to the given experimental conditions, as a result of the coupled influence of molecular parameters of the samples under study, of the thermodynamic quality of the solvent and of the distribution coefficient on the given porous material. Experimental results showed, however, that at least under stationary conditions secondary exclusion is probably operative to a less important degree.