Temperature Rising Elution Fractionation and Crystallization Analysis Fractionation

Abstract

Abstract Temperature rising elution fractionation (TREF) and crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF) are separation techniques for the characterization of semicrystalline polymers in terms of chemical composition. TREF has become a powerful tool for preparative polymer fractionation and for the analysis of the chemical composition distribution (CCD) in polyolefins. CRYSTAF, a more recent technique and with a simple hardware design, provides a faster approach for the analysis of the CCD. Both TREF and CRYSTAF separate according to the crystallizability of the polymer molecules, which is influenced by tacticity or the comonomer incorporation into the chain. TREF and CRYSTAF are becoming specially relevant in the characterization of the new and complex polyolefins made with combinations of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts.