Acquisition of Chromatography Equipment for Polymeric Materials Research and Education

该奖项将允许田纳西大学购买用于色谱分离和分子表征的仪器，用于在田纳西大学（UT）合成和/或研究的聚合物和共聚物。 更具体地说，将购买两台色谱仪，一台能够在高温下运行，另一台能够在环境温度或接近环境温度下运行。 为了优化这些系统在表征复杂聚合物（例如支化聚合物、嵌段和接枝共聚物以及具有反应性端基的聚合物）方面的效用，仪器将包括各种检测器，包括光散射、差示粘度计、紫外线和差示折射计单元。 为了进一步扩大室温色谱仪的有用性，将购买色谱柱，用于操作该装置，如有必要，可作为分子排阻色谱仪（SEC）或温度梯度相互作用色谱仪（TGIC）。这些仪器的收购将为UT聚合物科学家和工程师提供最先进的设施，用于测量聚合物分子量，多分散性，构象特征和支化。 改进的聚合物表征能力将对UT化学，材料科学和化学工程部门的60多名研究人员的研究产生有利影响，包括分子量分布与复杂流变学的相关性，聚合物和共聚物的结晶研究，聚合物共混物和复合材料中界面粘合的优化，生物聚合物结构对食品化学的影响，以及作为新型弹性体的新型支化聚合物和用于测试聚合物稀溶液理论。 此外，这些仪器将使我们能够开发新的实验室，介绍高分子化学，高分子物理化学和高分子材料课程，因此，每年约有100名本科生和研究生接触使用多检测器SEC和TGIC进行聚合物表征。或者在田纳西大学学习这将为聚合物科学家和工程师提供最先进的设施，用于测量聚合物和共聚物的分子量、多分散性、构象特征和支化。 改进的聚合物表征能力将对UT化学，材料科学和化学工程部门的60多名研究人员的研究产生有利影响。 此外，这些仪器将允许PI开发新的实验室，用于介绍聚合物化学，聚合物物理化学和聚合物材料课程，因此每年约有100名本科生和研究生使用多检测器尺寸排阻色谱和温度梯度相互作用色谱进行聚合物表征。

This award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program will allow the University of Tennessee to purchase instrumentation for chromatographic separation and molecular characterization of polymers and copolymers that are synthesized and/or studied at the University of Tennessee (UT). More specifically, two chromatographs - one capable of operation at elevated temperatures and the other operating at ambient or near ambient temperatures - will be purchased. To optimize the utility of these systems for characterizing complex polymers, such as branched polymers, block and graft copolymers, and polymers with reactive end-groups, the instrument will include a variety of detectors including light scattering, differential viscometer, ultraviolet, and differential refractometer units. To further expand the usefulness of the room temperature chromatograph, columns will be purchased for operating this unit as either a size exclusion chromatograph (SEC) or as a temperature gradient interaction chromatograph (TGIC), as necessary. The acquisition of these instruments will provide UT polymer scientists and engineers with a state-of-the-art facility for measurement of polymer molecular weights, polydispersities, conformational characteristics, and branching. Improved polymer characterization capabilities will favorably impact the research of more than 60 researchers in the UT Chemistry, Materials Science, and Chemical Engineering Departments, including projects such as the correlation of molecular weight distribution to complex rheology, crystallization studies of polymers and copolymers, optimization of interfacial adhesion in polymer blends and composites, effect of biopolymer structure on food chemistry, and new branched polymers as novel elastomers and for testing polymer dilute solution theory. In addition, these instruments will allow us to develop new laboratories for Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Physical Chemistry, and Polymeric Materials courses, thus exposing approximately 100 undergraduate and graduate students annually to the use of multi-detector SEC and TGIC for polymer characterization.The acquisition of instrumentation for chromatographic separation and molecular characterization of polymers and copolymers that are synthesized and/or studied at the University of Tennessee. This will provide polymer scientists and engineers with a state-of-the-art facility for measurement of molecular weights, polydispersities, conformational characteristics, and branching of polymers and copolymers. Improved polymer characterization capabilities will favorably impact the research of more than 60 researchers in the UT Chemistry, Materials Science, and Chemical Engineering Departments. In addition, these instruments will allow the PI's to develop new laboratories for Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Physical Chemistry, and Polymeric Materials courses, thus exposing approximately 100 undergraduate and graduate students annually to the use of multi-detector Size exclusion chromatography and temperature gradient interaction chromatography for polymer characterization.