Performance Evaluation of a Continuous Viscometer for High Speed GPC

The performance of a home-made continuous viscometer with pressure transducer, as a GPC detector, is described. This device, which is very sensitive to flow rate variations, can precisely monitor the mobile phase flow rate and general operation of the GPC apparatus. Any trouble in the instrument markedly affects the viscometer baseline, thus allowing its detection. Finally, using concentration data from the refractometer, the viscometer continuously provides the viscosity throughout the chromatographic peak, which, in turn, enables one, after smoothing and correction, to obtain the viscosity law of the injected polymer.