Analysing crystalline polymers by gel permeation chromatography at high temperature - Greg Saunders

Polymers used in engineering applications are particularly difficult to analyse - they are generally crystalline, tough, and often require elevated temperatures or exotic solvents for dissolution and to maintain solubility. For these applications a high performance, integrated GPC system is required that maintains the temperature of the sample throughout the analysis. Two classes of engineering polymers were investigated by GPC to illustrate the conditions and equipment required for their analysis at high temperature.

Introduction
Plastics are increasingly utilized to perform structural and mechanical roles in the construction and engineering industries. Favorable properties such as mechanical strength, durability, and resistance to chemical and
physical degradation, coupled with their relative cheapness, mean that polymers outperform many traditional materials, such as wood and metals, in key applications. With the creation of new polymeric materials,
this shift towards plastics is becoming even more pronounced as products with new properties are designed and developed. An understanding of the behavior of polymers is key to designing new materials with appropriate performance characteristics for specific applications. Analysis of these materials is therefore a critical component of the development and manufacture of engineering polymers.