Molecular weigh characterization of water soluble polymers

高分子科学与工程的研究具有巨大的全球重要性，对加拿大的许多行业具有战略意义。聚合物的发展仍然是国家战略研究的关键领域，即：能源使用、生物医学应用、石油开采和纳米技术。作为NSERC基金的首次申请者，我建议开展水溶性聚合物的生产研究，这些研究将在与加拿大密切相关的特殊应用中发挥作用，例如：提高石油采收率，废物处理中的絮凝，涂料，生物医学设备，药物释放和水溶性凝胶。该研究将研究这些聚合物的生产方法及其物理和化学性质。聚合物在分子水平上的结构是物理和化学性质（溶解度、流动性、强度和可加工性）的重要预测指标，这些决定了聚合物材料的最终用途。分子量分布（MWD）是表征聚合物结构最重要的指标之一，它与聚合物样品中不同长度链的统计组成有关。色谱方法，如凝胶渗透或粒径排除色谱（GPC或SEC）是评估MWD和平均分子量的最佳方法。为了正确分析拟议研究中产生的水溶性聚合物，我需要专用的色谱设备和相关的检测器。该设备还将成为聚合物研究所和整个化学工程系合作研究项目的中心。该设备的存在也将为HQP在这个令人兴奋的研究领域使用最先进的分析设备的培训提供极好的机会。

Research in Polymer Science and Engineering is of enormous global importance and is of strategic importance for many industries in Canada.  Developments in polymers continue to be of key national  areas of strategic research namely: energy usage, biomedical applications, oil recovery and nanotechnology.  As a first time applicant for NSERC funds, I propose to carry out research in the production of water soluble polymers that will have utility in specialty applications with enormous relevance to Canada, for example: enhanced oil recovery, flocculation in waste treatment, coatings, biomedical devices, pharmaceutical release and water soluble gels.  The research will study methods of production for these polymers in relation to their physical and chemical properties. Polymer structures at the molecular level are important predictors of physical and chemical properties (solubility, flow behaviour, strength, and processability) that determine the ultimate end use for a polymeric material.  One of the most important indicators of polymeric structure is the molecular weight distribution (MWD) which is related to the statistical make up of chains with different lengths within samples of polymer.  Chromatographic methods such as gel permeation- or size exclusion- chromatography (GPC or SEC) are the best methods for evaluating MWD and molecular weight averages.  In order to properly analyze the water soluble polymers produced in the proposed research, I require dedicated chromatographic equipment with associated detectors.  The equipment will also be a centre point for collaborative research projects within the Institute of Polymer Research and the Department of Chemical Engineering as a whole.  The presence of the equipment will also allow for excellent opportunities for the training of HQP in the use of state of the art analytical equipment in this exciting area of research.