Gas adsorption retention chromatographic volumes at high temperature are closely related to adsorption and are therefore sources of information concerning gas-solid interaction potentials and surface areas. Dependence of ietention volumes on temperature over the temperature range 300-700°K has been established for argon, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene, ethane, propylene and propane on Columbia activated carbon. A simple method based on an asymptotic form is presented for evaluation of gas-solid interaction potential parameters. Over the temperature ranges investigated, data are adequately represented in each case by a 3 : 9 gas-solid interaction potential, but this representation is not unique. Interaction parameters TO = -E ( x o ) / ~ and Ax0 ( A is the surface area, xo the distance from surface to potential energy minimum, and E(XO) is the gas-solid interaction energy at the potential energy minimum) are evaluated by both asymptotic and exact methods, results by the two methods being in excellent agreement. The estimation of the parameter xo is discussed. Surface areas based on measured values of Ax0 and estimated values of xo are less than the B.E.T. nitrogen surface area of the adsorbent by factors varying from 2.5 for argon to 6.7 for propylene.