Infrared spectroscopy is used for qualitative studies such as:
- identification of polymer materials, stabilisers and additives
- general identification of substances and purity determinations
- FTIR spectroscopy
- identification of small objects in materials with IR microscopy Continuum from size 15x15μm
and for quantitative studies, namely:
- determination of composition of copolymers, additive content in polymers, monitoring degradative changes in polymer
- degree of branching, degree of crystallinity of semicrystalline polymers, dichroic ratio in oriented polymers
UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy is employed mainly for:
- determination of purity degree of organic solvents
- photometric control of stabiliser dosage in PP and PE
- determination of -OH groups in silica supports
- determination of polystyrene content in styrene (ASTM D2121)
- determination of p-tert-butylcatechol in styrene (ASTM D4590)
- spectrophotometric determination of some metals
NMR spectroscopy - examples of use:
- structure identification, purity determination, degree of deuteration
- determination of isomerisation degree of polymer chains
- branching of polymers, detection, identification and quantification of branches
- structural defects of macromolecules, tacticity determination
- analysis of propylene/ethylene or other 1-olefin copolymers, determination of number average molecular weight by means of quantitative end group analysis
Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)AAS is used for the qualitative and quantitative determination of metals. Possible applications: analysis of the catalytic systems, traces of catalyst residues in polymers, content of fillers, determination of metals in fillers etc.
Atomic absorption spectroscopy with electrothermal analysis (ETA-AAS)
Electrothermal analysis AAS in connection with microwaves decomposition is able to determine traces of metals at ppb levels. Possible application: determination of impurities in monomers.