9360569 Hansen The objective of this research is the adaptation of thermal field-flow fractionation technology to high temperatures for the separation of ultra-high molecular weight polymers. The basic technique discriminates among polymer molecules on the basis of molecular weight as the polymer solution undergoes laminar channel flow between a hot and cold wall. Macromolecules move toward the cold wall by thermal diffusion while ordinary diffusion tends to cause the lower molecular weight species to migrate to the higher velocity regions. Detector output versus time can be related to the molecular weight distribution. Polymers are widely used in automotive, electronics, medical and other industries. Performance of the polymers in these products often depends on the physical characterization which is in turn affected by the composition of the polymer. The instrumention system will to maintain and improve product quality by providing information about polymer composition in polymer systems at and beyond the capabilities of current methods. ***
