We are looking for a way to identify the composition of a polymer blend that we do not know the composition. The composition is based on a polyurethan polymer, silicone elastomer, polyester-based polymer, and enzyme (that we know).
We have done some research and it seems that FTIR combined with TGA (Thermogravimetric analysis) can possibly be helpful for polymer blend identification.
We hope that our colleagues can share their point of views on how to approach the situation and suggest any helpful tools that can help us.
Thank you in advance.
FTIR and TGA are a good start. You can get TGA coupled to MS as well - this can be useful if more expensive. Separation of the blend into its components by chromatography or extraction techniques may be of assistance in making ID easier
X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to identify unknown compositions (organic and inorganic) by comparing them with the library data of existing.
FTIR is the fastest method to get the basic idea about the possible polymer combinationation of the polymer blend. TGA can help us in identify the number of polymer components present in polymer blends. TG-FT-IR is also available now a days. Follow the link for more details https://analyzing-testing.netzsch.com/en/blog/2020/tga-ft-ir-your-solution-to-identify-a-polymer-blend-and-its-composition
SEM can help you out to identify the morphology of the polymer blend, which will help you in understanding about blend is miscible or not..
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has proven to be an effective technique for characterizing blends such as polyethylene/polypropylene where the crystalline melting endotherms or other transitions (e.g., glass transition) associated with the polymer components are sufficiently separated to allow identification and/or quantitation. However, many blends do not exhibit this convenient separation and thus are difficult to accurately evaluate by conventional DSC or Modulated DSC. (PFA of the case study of the TA instrument)
Compiling all the data of the above analysis along with Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) if possible will give you the more accurate results & understanding.
Not easy your question!
Just to start you can try to dissolve the blend in a proper solvent and use a chromatography technique to separete the components and identify them!
That is depends upon the which based polyurethan water based or solvent based , chromatography technique also useful
Liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (LC-MS) may be adapted to separate your blend
A liquid chromtography technique can help to identify how many components are present in your blend. I im a little bit puzzled, because you mention that it's a solution, which has an silicone elastomer (= crosslinked) as one component.
I usually use 1H-NMR spectroscopy to determine compositions (i.e. of polymer block in block copolymers). You could look at peaks, which are characteristic for the respective components. If the components are only known to the degree that they are a not further sepcified urethane, ester and silicone, you can look at peaks of these groups or of protons really close to the respective group (for example the protons next to the oxygen of the ester).
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Physical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Materials
- Inorganic Materials
- Metals
- Alloys
- Steel