Laser light scattering and polydispersity of polymers

The application of lasers to light scattering improves the potentials of elastic scattering, especially in the high molecular weight range and enables the technique of inelastic scattering to be used. For elastic light scattering an experimental arrangement and an evaluation method is described which allows, within appropriate molecular weight ranges, the determination of the ratio Mw/Mn from the experimental scattering function with an accuracy down to 0.02. The newer technique of inelastic light scattering yields the coefficient of translational diffusion D. Besides D, the friction coefficient f is also directly accessible. The basic equations are reported, as well as an application to mi…