TGIC datasheet0 pages

TGIC
THERMAL GRADIENT INTERACTION CHROMATOGRAPHY

A new and fully automated Thermal Gradient
Interaction Chromatograph for measuring
Composition Distribution in Elastomers and Low
Crystallinity Polyolefin Copolymers.
High Temperature HPLC has become recently available for the
analysis of polyolefins, field where it is better known under the
name of Interaction Chromatography. It was first used in
Solvent Gradient Interaction Chromatography mode (SGIC)
and it is today extended with the use of a thermal gradient
instead, also known as Thermal Gradient Interaction
Chromatography (TGIC).
The TGIC technique using carbon based adsorbents was
developed by The Dow Chemical Company to characterize the
composition distribution in polyethylene copolymers. This
technique requires a cooling (adsorption) and a heating
(desorption) step. Elution of the sample takes place in that last
heating step, observing a linear dependence of comonomer
content to desorption temperatures in a similar manner to TREF
and CEF, and being molar mass independent above 20,000 Da.

KEY FEATURES
Fully automated operation with no manual solvent handling. Integrated
vial solvent filling, sample dissolution and in-line filtration.
Fast analysis time of around 2-3 hours including sample dissolution.
Analysis of up to 40 samples sequentially, with the possibility of using
different methods each one.
Both TGIC and CEF analyses can be performed in the same instrument
with dedicated software packages.
Easy incorporation of Polymer Char’s on-line Viscometer for compositionmolar mass interdependence.
Option to integrate IR5 MCT detector for maximum sensitivity in both
concentration and composition signals.

TGIC will adsorb polymer molecules by the level of molecular
surface in contact with the surface of the adsorbent, thus it
may discriminate polymers by the level of irregularities in the
chain, in a similar approach to crystallization techniques. TGIC,
however separates by adsorption and no co-elution is expected.

20

TGIC 20/2/0.5 Carbon-based Column 10 cm o-DCB

18
16
14

Resolution in TGIC is lower than in crystallization techniques
but it has the possibility to extend the range of polymers to be
analyzed towards the amorphous region which is limited by
crystallization techniques. Then, the analyses of elastomers and
other amorphous polyolefins are the main application of TGIC.

dW/dT

12
10
8
6
4
2
0
10

30

50

70

90

110

130

Temperature (ºC)

TGIC is performed with a single solvent, typically o-DCB or
1, 2, 4 TCB in a Crystallization Elution Fractionation instrument
(CEF) with the standard autosampler, injection system and an
infrared detector, only requiring to replace the TREF column by
a TGIC column.
Find out more at www.polymerchar.com/TGIC

Polymer Characterization, S.A.

Gustave Eiffel, 8 Paterna
E-46980 Valencia, Spain

T.: +34 96 131 81 20
F.: +34 96 131 81 22

info@polymerchar.com
www.polymerchar.com

TGIC analysis of a series of Ethylene Octene Copolymers.

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