Characterization of suspension poly(vinyl chloride) resins and narrow polystyrene standards by size exclusion chromatography with multiple detectors: Online right angle laser-light scattering and differential viscometric detectors

Abstract

This work reports the utilization of a multi-detector size chromatography for the characterization of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) resins prepared by suspension polymerization in the range of temperatures between 21 and 75 °C. The chromatography equipment offers the possibility of analyzing the samples in terms of their absolute molecular mass using a combination of three detectors (TriSEC): right angle light scattering (RALLS), a differential viscometer (DV) and refractive index (RI). The PVC resins were fully characterized concerning the molecular weight distribution (MWD), its dependence with intrinsic viscosity ([eta]) and molecular sizes (radius of gyration, Rg and hydrodynamic radius, Rh). Additionally, it is also presented the characterization of polystyrene narrow standards serving as reference polymers.