Molecular aggregation in poly(vinyl chloride). A novel analytical technique

Abstract A novel experimental technique based on gel permeation chromatography (GPC) has been developed for the measurement of molecular aggregation in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). PVC having a range of syndiotacticity was synthesized using polymerization temperatures of 30–70°C. Tacticity and molecular aggregation of these PVC samples were measured by NMR and GPC, respectively. The temperature dependence of molecular aggregation was found to be much greater than that of tacticity. This GPC technique is inherently more sensitive than NMR in the temperature range normally employed for commercial production of PVC. It should find extensive use in the control of PVC reactors and in PVC processing.