The characterization of linear polyethylene SRM's 1482, 1483, and 1484. I. Introduction

The National Bureau of Standards has issued a series of three linear polyethylene Standard Reference Materials, SRM 1482, 1483, and 1484. These polyethylenes have molecular weights of the order of 10,000, 30,000, and 100,000 g/mol, respectively, and ratios M _w /M _n of weight- to number-average molecular weight of the order of 1.2. Their number-average molecular weights (by membrane osmometry), weight-average molecular weights (by light scattering), and limiting; viscosity numbers in two solvents (by capillary viscometry) are certified; the procedures employed are described in subsequent papers in this series. In the present paper, we describe the preparation of the materials and some of their general properties.