Measurement of the Dead Volume between Concurrent Detectors in Gel Permeation Chromatography

Abstract

Multiple detection of gel permeation chromatography effluent is going to become a routine way of polymer characterization in most laboratories. It is then necessary to give attention to the dead volume connecting the cells of concurrent detectors. If neglected, considerable errors may occur in data handling.

We report, in this paper, a method of dead volume measurement. It firstly concerns the coupling of a high pressure gel permeation chromatograph and the “Ouano”-type continuous viscometer, but its general utility is demonstrated. The main conclusion is that the geometric estimate of the dead volume is not suitable, even when an accurate calculation is possible. The method we describe here leads to an experimental dead volume. It is greater than the geometric one (as theoretically proved recently) but it gives the best results.