9802853 Mays This award is for the purchase of a state-of-the-art size exclusion chromatography (SEC) instrument for use in characterizing polymers that are synthesized at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. To maximize the utility of this instrument for accurately and rapidly characterizing a wide range of synthetic materials, we will equip the instrument with superior flow rate stability and with multiple detectors: refractive index, ultraviolet (photodiode array), and multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) detectors. The dual concentration detectors are useful in examining compositional variations in many copolymers, while the MALLS detector allows determination of absolute molecular weights without reliance on calibration curves (standards of the same type as the polymer being analyzed are often not available). SEC/MALLS also allows conformational characteristics of polymers to be determined. Use of the MALLS detector along with the differential viscometer that is already available in our laboratory will allow for rapid detection and quantification of long chain branching in polymers. The combination of these various detectors is especially useful in our work with graft copolymers, which combine copolymer character with branching. %%% This project supports equipment used in the development of advanced polymeric materials leading to better paints, improved ceramics, lighter faster electronics, and low cost biodegradable plastics from renewable resources. It will involve the integration of education and research through the participation and training of students, including students from under represented groups through participation in the NSF Alliance for Minority Participation Program. * * *
