CRITICAL PEAK RESOLUTION IN MULTICOMPONENT CHROMATOGRAMS

The critical degree of peak overlap is determined for multicomponent c hromatograms. As the heights of adjacent peaks significantly differ, n o single value of critical peak resolution can be used in multicompone nt separations; one has to determine the distribution of the critical peak resolutions, taking into account the peak height distribution. An analytical expression is derived for the critical peak resolution, fr om which one can obtain the average or maximum probable peak resolutio n by integration, The theoretical model can be applied to any peak hei ght distribution with ease.