Effect of Short Chain Branch Content (SCB) on Gyration Radius of Ethylene/1-Hexene Copolymer

The relation between microstructural parameters of ethylene copolymer is investigated in this study. An industrial grade of medium density polyethylene, MDPE, based on Philips catalyst, which was an ethylene copolymer with 1-hexene as comonomer was fractionated to homogenous short chain branch (SCB) content fractions using preparative temperature rising elution fractionation (P-TREF) technique. The resultant samples were evaluated through size exclusion chromatography multi-angle laser light scattering (SECMALLS) in order to investigate the role of SCB content in molecular weight and gyration radius of ethylene/1-hexene copolymer. The results showed that by decreasing SCB content, getting more linear chain, both molecular weight (Mw) and gyration radius (Rg) was increased