ADSORPTION CHROMATOGRAPHY OF POLYMERS

Adsorption chromatography is a universal method for the investigation of various types of polymer polydispersity. The behaviour of the macromolecule during adsorption in pores is determined by the energy of interaction of a polymer -unit with the adsorption surface - ε and its ratio to the critical energy - εc In the range of -ε < -εc exclusion chromatography occurs (-ΔF<0) whereas -ε> -εc is the range of adsorption chromatography (-ΔF> 0). Both of them together form a single chromatographic process of the penetration of macromolecules into pores. The chromatographic behaviour of copolymers and oligomers with functional groups was considered. New methods of quantitative adsorption chromatography are de-scribed: TLC with plate calibration by polydisperse polymers for the determination of MMD of homopolymers and micro-column chromatography for the analysis of composition heterogeneity of block copolymers with the determination of their composition by photometric detection at two wavelengths. © 1979, Walter de Gruyter. All rights reserved.