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重要性。 聚合物的发展仍然是国家战略研究的关键领域，即：能源利用、生物医学应用、石油回收和纳米技术。 作为NSERC基金的第一次申请人，我建议进行水溶性聚合物生产的研究，这些聚合物将在与加拿大有巨大相关性的专业应用中具有实用性，例如：提高石油采收率，废物处理絮凝，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与其物理和化学性质的关系。分子水平的聚合物结构是决定聚合物材料最终用途的物理和化学性质（溶解度、流动行为、强度和可加工性）的重要预测因子。 聚合物结构的最重要指标之一是分子量分布（MWD），其与聚合物样品中具有不同长度的链的统计组成有关。 色谱法如凝胶渗透色谱法或尺寸排阻色谱法（GPC或SEC）是评价MWD和分子量平均值的最佳方法。 为了正确分析拟议研究中产生的水溶性聚合物，我需要配备相关检测器的专用色谱设备。 该设备也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点。 该设备的存在也将为培训HQP在这一令人兴奋的研究领域使用最先进的分析设备提供极好的机会。

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.