Gel Permeation Chromatography for Functional Materials Characterization

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New polymeric materials are required to make advanced plastics, coatings and composite materials for a broad range of applications ranging from new low energy light sources to new adhesives that will allow for paintable plastics. These next generation polymeric materials require the incorporation of functionality that can respond and interact with their environment, eg. electrical stimulus to emit light or form tight binding interactions with metals or non-stick polymers such as Teflon. Thus, novel chemistry and polymerization syntheses must be developed to make such functional materials. Meanwhile, the experimental polymers resulting from these efforts must be measured and characterized using a variety of research techniques. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) is the single most common method for polymer characterization, and operates by separating samples of polymer chains by their size in solution. Detectors then determine the amount of material eluting through the GPC column as a function of the time it takes for a sample to pass through. Thus, short chain polymers elute more quickly than long chain polymers. From this time information as well as detection using light scattering we can learn about how the shape of polymers in solution. This information helps us to predict polymer properties, such as strength and toughness, and performance, such as how the polymers can be processed. All of these features of the polymer must be understood before commercial products can be made with these next generation polymers/adhesives/plastics.