Abstract: | A method described for the determination of molecular weight and long-chain branching distributions of polymers requires no prior knowledge of the functional relation between branching frequency and molecular weight. It is based on preparative fractionation and viscometric and gel-permeation chromatographic measurements on both fractions and whole polymer. The technique is applied to several polybutadienes and butadiene-styrene copolymers differing widely in method of synthesis and pattern of long-chain branching. |