Characterization of polymers by temperature gradient interaction chromatography

Temperature gradient interaction chromatography for the characterization of molecular weight distribution of macromolecules is reported. The technique is a conventional reversed phase HPLC, but the column temperature is varied during the elution. A very fine and reproducible control of interaction between polymer chains and the stationary phase can be achieved by changing the column temperature. Under a suitable temperature programming, this method has been proven to provide a far better resolution to conventional size exclusion chromatography.