Use graphene coated silica core shell particles to provide rapid, precise, and equivalent chemical composition distribution analysis for polyolefin materials by high temperature thermal gradient interaction chromatography.

High temperature thermal gradient interaction chromatography (HT-TGIC) has been widely used to measure chemical composition distribution due to its applicability to separate crystalline and non-crystalline amorphous polyolefin materials. The compatibility of HT-TGIC with various detectors (infrared (IR), light scattering (LS), and viscometer) has also allowed a comprehensive analysis of molecular architecture of polyolefin and recycled plastics. The introduction of an easy-to-fabricate graphene coated onto non-porous silica particles as HT-TGIC column in 2020 showed a superior chromatographic performance over the traditional graphite column.

Development of a robust calibration method for improving the long-term precision of polyethylene comonomer content distribution using crystallization elution fractionation.

Comonomer content distribution (CCD), also commonly known as chemical composition distribution (CCD) and short chain branching distribution (SCBD), describes the variation of short chain branching composition between individual polymer chains in polyolefin materials. It is of particular importance for controlling polyolefin performance. Crystallization-based separation methods have evolved over the past four decades aiming at resolution, speed, precision, and accuracy.