Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) is one of the most powerful and versatile analytical techniques available for understanding and predicting polymer performance. It is the most convenient technique for characterizing the complete molecular weight distribution of a polymer.
Waters commercially pioneered GPC in 1963. Since then, Waters has continued to develop and explore new GPC applications and improve the instrumentation that makes GPC so powerful.
Why is GPC important?
GPCcan determine several important parameters. These include number average molecular weight, weight average molecular weight, Z weight average molecular weight, and the most fundamental characteristic of a polymer its molecular weight distribution.
These values are important, since they affect many of the characteristic physical properties of a polymer. Subtle batch-to-batch differences in these measurable values can cause significant differences in the end-use properties of a polymer.