MALS
Multi-angle light scattering
MCT
Mercury cadmium telluride
MMD
Molar mass distribution
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
ODCB
1,2-Dichlorobenzene
PE
Polyethylene
PP
Polypropylene
RI
Refractive index
SCB
Short chain branching
SCBD
Short-chain branching distribution
SEC
Size-exclusion chromatography
SGIC
Solvent gradient interaction chromatography
SGIC2D
Two-dimensional solvent gradient interaction chromatography
SIST
Stepwise isothermal segregation
sPP
Syndiotactic polypropylene
SSA
Successive self-nucleation annealing
STAF
Solvated thermal analysis fractionation
TCB
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
TGIC
Temperature gradient interactive chromatography
TREF
Temperature rising elution fractionation
1 Introduction
Polymer characterization at the time Ziegler and Natta synthesized the first linear
polyolefins in the 1950s was not yet a mature science. Staudinger [1] was among the
first to recognize the importance of molar mass for product properties. Molar mass
was being measured by dilute solution viscosity, osmometry, ultracentrifugation or
light scattering and different types of averages were obtained depending on the
technique being used. It was also understood in the 1930s that synthetic polymers
are polydisperse, but in the case of polyolefins it was not possible to measure the
molar mass distribution until the late 1960s.
In the early stages of polyolefin development, most characterization work was
focused on the catalyst itself and the understanding of polymerization mechanisms.
The new polyethylenes being synthesized were being characterized by the bulk
polymer properties and most effort was given to understanding the crystal structure
and physical properties for a given molar mass average.
The synthesis of polypropylene brought a new scenario and major efforts at that
time concentrated on controlling the stereoregularity, synthesizing the most regular
isotactic polypropylene, and understanding its polymorphism; these efforts have
continued for many years.
Polymer microstructure became more complex when short chain branches were
inserted into the linear chains, with the addition of α-olefin comonomers with the
Polyolefin Characterization: Recent Advances in Separation Techniques
205
Multi-angle light scattering
MCT
Mercury cadmium telluride
MMD
Molar mass distribution
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance
ODCB
1,2-Dichlorobenzene
PE
Polyethylene
PP
Polypropylene
RI
Refractive index
SCB
Short chain branching
SCBD
Short-chain branching distribution
SEC
Size-exclusion chromatography
SGIC
Solvent gradient interaction chromatography
SGIC2D
Two-dimensional solvent gradient interaction chromatography
SIST
Stepwise isothermal segregation
sPP
Syndiotactic polypropylene
SSA
Successive self-nucleation annealing
STAF
Solvated thermal analysis fractionation
TCB
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
TGIC
Temperature gradient interactive chromatography
TREF
Temperature rising elution fractionation
1 Introduction
Polymer characterization at the time Ziegler and Natta synthesized the first linear
polyolefins in the 1950s was not yet a mature science. Staudinger [1] was among the
first to recognize the importance of molar mass for product properties. Molar mass
was being measured by dilute solution viscosity, osmometry, ultracentrifugation or
light scattering and different types of averages were obtained depending on the
technique being used. It was also understood in the 1930s that synthetic polymers
are polydisperse, but in the case of polyolefins it was not possible to measure the
molar mass distribution until the late 1960s.
In the early stages of polyolefin development, most characterization work was
focused on the catalyst itself and the understanding of polymerization mechanisms.
The new polyethylenes being synthesized were being characterized by the bulk
polymer properties and most effort was given to understanding the crystal structure
and physical properties for a given molar mass average.
The synthesis of polypropylene brought a new scenario and major efforts at that
time concentrated on controlling the stereoregularity, synthesizing the most regular
isotactic polypropylene, and understanding its polymorphism; these efforts have
continued for many years.
Polymer microstructure became more complex when short chain branches were
inserted into the linear chains, with the addition of α-olefin comonomers with the
Polyolefin Characterization: Recent Advances in Separation Techniques
205