Structural characterization of polyolefins by pyrolysis—hydrogenation glass capillary gas chromatography

In order to obtain quantitatively specific and high-resolution pyrograms of high polymers, fundamental splitting conditions for pyrolysis—gas chromatography were studied using a vertical micro-furnace type of pyrolyzer attached to a glass capiliary separation column. High-resolution pyrograms were measured for polyolefins such as polyethylenes (PE), polypropylenes (PP) and various kinds of ethylen—propylene copolymers P(E-co-P)] using a pyrolysis—hydrogenation device. Microstructures such as short branchings for PE, stereoregularities and chemical inversions for PP and sequence distributions for P(E-co-P) are discussed on the basis of the pyrograms.