SEC / Size Exclusion Chromatography
Size exclusion chromatography is a form of high performance liquid chromatography specially designed for polymer molecular characterization .The set ups include analytical columns, for polymer separation based on polymer chain hydrodynamic volume, running with organic or aqueous solvents which are connected to different detectors, including refractive index and UV-Vis detectors, for physicochemical analysis of the polymer molecules after the separation columns. Homopolymers and copolymers of different architectures may be analyzed provided that they can be molecularly dissolved in the carrier solvent (usually THF).
The technique provides information on: (a) polymer average molecular weights (after calibration with polystyrene or polymethacrylate standards), (b) polymer molecular weight polydispersity/distribution, (c) polymer homogeneity, (d) polymer composition/chemical structure/branching
Waters Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) system
Pump: Waters 1515 isocratic pump,
Columns: Three µ-Styragel mixed bed columns (porosity range 102 to 106 Å),
Detectors: Waters 2414 refractive index detector and Waters 2489 UV-Vis detector
Data: Breeze software
Solvent: Tetrahydrofuran (containing 5% v/v triethylamine)
Calibration: Linear polystyrene standards of narrow polydispersities and weight average molecular weights in the range of 2,300 to 929,000 g/mol.
Polymer molecular characterization (molecular weight, molecular weight polydispersity, homogeneity, composition in special cases).
Dr. Stergios Pispas, pispas@eie.gr
Waters Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) system
Pump: Waters 1515 isocratic pump
Columns: Three PLgel mixed bed columns (Agilent Technologies, MW range 200 to 2,000,000 g/mol)
Detectors: Waters 410 refractive index detector and Waters 2487 UV-Vis detector
Data: Breeze software
Solvent: Tetrahydrofuran (containing 2% v/v triethylamine)
Calibration: Linear polystyrene standards of narrow polydispersities and weight average molecular weights in the range of 580 to 3,250,000 g/mol and linear poly(methyl methacrylate) standards of narrow polydispersities and weight average molecular weights in the range of 875 to 1,677,000 g/mol.
Polymer molecular characterization (molecular weight, molecular weight polydispersity, homogeneity, composition in special cases).
Dr. Maria Vamvakaki, vamvakak@iesl.forth.gr
