《 Modern Research Methods in Polymer

Science 》Drs. Wei Tian & Yanhui Chen

Sep-Dec. 2014

Main Content

Modern Research Methods in Polymer Science

Chromatography Analysis

Gas Chromatography (GC)

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC)

Size Exclusion Chromatography/Multiangle Laser Light Scattering (SEC/MALLS) (Key point)

Petrochemical Industry

Food Analysis

Environmental Monitoring

Pesticide Residue

Carrier Gas

Injector

Recorder

Flow RestrictorDetector

Column

Gas Chromatography

Function

Detect the amount and type of the compounds in the samples

Application

separation column

detector

liquid wasterecording system

• HPLC is suitable for separation and analysis of high boiling point, poor thermal stability, high polarity, high molecular weight and ionic compounds.

• As long as the sample can be dissolved in the mobile phase, it is suitable for the detector and can be directly analyzed.

High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Characteristics and Advantages

Sep

arat

ion

of

chro

mat

ogra

ph

ic c

olu

mn

1. Molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, and polymer additives

2. Reaction Tracking and Kinetics3. Composition distribution of the block copolymer

Gel Permeation Chromatography

Main Application

Multiangle Laser Light Scattering

Quasielastic

Pump

Differential Refractometer

Viscosity Meter

SEC System

SEC/MALLS

(1) Polymer samples are first dissolved in appropriate solvent, and then injected into SEC system; the pump can supply the power and drive the solvent flowing in SEC system.

(2) After an adequate separation, polymer solution goes into the

multiangle laser light scattering, and then into quasielastic, or

viscosity meter. Both of them are combined with data wires

and differential refractometer to get output signal;

(3) The long-range structure information of polymer sample can

be obtained by computerized processing.

SEC/MALLS

Principle of Work （ Understand ）

(1) To determine molecular weight and its distribution;

(2) To test parameters in solution, such as molecular

rotation radius, end-to-end distance, second virial

coefficient;

(3) To analyze the size and distribution of polymer

aggregates ranging from nanometer to micrometer.

SEC/MALLS

Functions （ Master ）

(1) The preparation and test conditions of polymer samples;

(2) Reasons for the difference between theory and practice

molecular weight;

(3) Objective analysis to the experimental results.

×√√

SEC/MALLS

Three important problems （ Master key ）

Description

Macromolecules, 2009, 42(3): 640–651

SEC/MALLS

Acknowledgement

Wei Tian thanks for the help and source materials from graduate

students of Applied Chemistry Department of School of Science.