Characterization of Chemical Composition along the Molar Mass Distribution in Polyolefin Copolymers by GPC Using a Modern Filter-Based IR Detector

Summary Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), also known as size exclusion chromatography (SEC), is the technique routinely used at high temperature to analyze the molar mass distribution in polyolefins. The distribution of comonomer along the molar mass distribution in a copolymer is a key microstructural feature that determines the macroscopic properties of the material, and thus, its range of possible applications and performance. The direct coupling of a modern filter-based infrared (IR) detector to a high temperature GPC instrument, by means of a heated flow-through cell, is here described. The analyses are carried out by recording the continuous IR absorbance chromatograms at selected …