Thermal Gradient Interaction Chromatography (TGIC)

Description

Thermal Gradient Interaction Chromatography (TGIC) is an automated instrument for polymer fractionation and composition analysis. It is specifically designed to characterize the chemical composition distribution of semi-crystalline polyolefins and elastomers, such as polyethylene and polypropylene copolymers. The technique employs carbon-based adsorbents and a precisely controlled thermal gradient to separate polymer chains based on their chemical composition rather than molecular size. The system features fully automated operation, including integrated vial filling, sample dissolution, and in-line filtration. It can sequentially analyze 42 or 66 samples, with the option to run different methods for each. Detection is performed using infrared detection, and an online viscometer can be incorporated for simultaneous composition and molar mass analysis. Applications include the study of polyolefin copolymers, blends, and the identification of components in post-consumer recyclates (PCR), with a typical analysis time of 2 to 3 hours per sample.