Liquid phase percentage:
The amount of liquid phase used should be just enough to coat particles along with a thin uniform layer. Too much liquid phase collects within pools among particles and the efficiency of the column reduces. The efficiency decreases drastically for liquid loading exceeding 30% on diatomaceous earth supports. The retention time is proportional to the grams of liquid phase present, and therefore, low liquid loading means fast analysis.
The modification of retention time along with % liquid loading is described in Figure.
Figure: Retention time vs % liquid phase