Correlation between GPC, DSC, and Analytical TREF for Linear Polyethylene

Abstract

Analytical temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) of linear polyethylene (PE) samples with different densities was done in 1-chloronaphthalene using a gel permeation chromatograph (GPC) coupled with a gas chromatograph. The corrected peak elution temperatures completed the previously obtained data in trichlorobenzene, xylene, and dibutoxymethane. A mathematical correlation was found for diluted linear PE samples between the α parameter of the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation governing the retention time in GPC, the bulk melting temperature measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the TREF peak elution temperature. The extrapolation to the melting temperature measured by DSC gives α = 0.5, thus confirming the hypothesis that polymer conformations in the melt are similar to those in a theta solvent.

Keywords:

• Analytical TREF
• Chloronaphthalene
• DSC
• Polyethylene
• Theta solvent

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The assistance of Christelle Vanoosthuyze in the obtained DSC data is gratefully acknowledged.