Calibration of Separation and Instrumental Peak Broadening in Sec Coupled with Light Scattering of Simple Polymers

Abstract

A recently developed procedure for calibration of separation and instrumental peak broadening in SEC was used for a comparative study of separation and axial dispersion of polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(vinylchloride). The influence of the uncertainty in the volume lag between the concentration and LALLS detectors upon peak broadening was investigated and a new procedure for the determination of the lag was proposed. The applicability of the universal calibration concept was tested; all the polymers have been found to match a single universal calibration function. Polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) also coincided very well with respect to the instrumental spreading, but for poly(vinylchloride) spreading was found to be a function of polymer concentration.