On-line gel permeation chromatography/nuclear magnetic resonance of complex polymer formulations

Separation of synthetic polymer mixtures by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), followed by on-line detection using a 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, has been demonstrated using three different polymer formulations as examples. The mobile phase used in all cases was deutero-chloroform, and an inexpensive commercially available flow cell was used as a link between the separation and detection stages of the experiment. Using this technique it is possible to derive chemical information relating to specific molecular sizes of polymer mixtures, and not just the size-averaged information that would be obtained from standard NMR experiments. This provides an invaluable tool for the deformulation of complex mixtures such as those found in the surfactants and adhesives industries.