A Malvern system is being used to optimise polymerisation conditions for the production of specifically tailored materials, including those with applications in the paints and adhesives industries.
The Viscotek TDAmax gel permeation chromatography (GPC) system is being used by a team of researchers led by Prof Timothy McKenna, Canada research chair in polymer reaction engineering at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario.
The system delivers absolute molecular weight and molecular weight distributions.
One of the team's primary goals is to control free radical polymerisation reactions to achieve the desired characteristics in acrylate, methacrylate and styrenic-based polymers.
Complementing Malvern's Zetasizer series, which uses light-scattering techniques to measure zeta potential and particle size, and the company's capillary and rotational rheometers for melt characterisation, the TDAmax is a fully integrated triple detector GPC system.
It incorporates refractive index and light-scattering detectors and a viscometer, and provides direct absolute molecular weight measurement and precise intrinsic viscosity data, enabling comprehensive investigation of polymer properties, including structure.
