High temperature continuous viscometry coupled with analytic temperature rising elution fractionation for evaluating crystalline and semi-crystalline polymers

Apparatus for analyzing a solution of a crystalline or semi-crystalline polymer sample comprising:

• (a) means for precipitating the polymer sample solution over a cooling temperature gradient to produce a precipitated polymer sample, said precipitated polymer sample being precipitated as a function of its crystallinity or branching configuration or density;
• (b) means for eluting said precipitated polymer sample over a heating temperature gradient to produce successive fractions of a fractionated polymer sample solution;
• (c) first means for successively measuring the instantaneous concentration of the successive fractions of said fractionated polymer sample solution, at a first temperature in excess of a precipitation temperature of said fractionated polymer sample solution, to produce instantaneous concentration c data;
• (d) second means for successively measuring the instantaneous specific viscosity of the successive fractions of said fractionated polymer sample solution, at a temperature in excess of a precipitation temperature of said fractionated polymer sample solution, to produce instantaneous specific viscosity Spv data;
• and
• (e) third means for determining the instantaneous intrinsic viscosity Intv of the successive fractions of said fractionated polymer sample solution in accordance with said instantaneous concentration data c from said first means and said instantaneous specific viscosity data Intv from said second means.