Crude oil, or petroleum, is the main source of organic polymeric chemicals for industry. The major chemicals are derived from two constituents of oil, namely olefins such as ethylene and propylene, and aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylene.
These raw materials are then broken down into more basic polymers, for example, polyethylene, polypropylene, elastomers, asphalts, and liquid hydrocarbons. Millions of tons of these compounds are produced and used worldwide every year. Analysis of polymers by the liquid chromatography technique of gel permeation chromatography/size exclusion chromatography (GPC/SEC) reveals information that influences many of their key physical parameters, including strength, brittleness, melt flow, and how easily the material is processed. As such, GPC/SEC is a very important technique for companies synthesizing polymers and is essential for assessing their molecular weight distribution, a characteristic that influences many of their physical properties. Generally, increasing molecular weight leads to higher performance characteristics, while an increase in the width of the distribution (the polydispersity) leads to a loss of performance but an increase in the ease of processing.
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