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Centre for Water Soluble Polymers lab: Wrexham
The Centre has well-equipped research laboratories. Specialist techniques include:
- Gel Permeation Chromatography and Field Flow Fractionation coupled to Multiangle Angle Laser Light Scattering to determine the molecular mass distribution of water soluble polymers
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry to study conformational transitions and gelation of polymers
- Isotherrmal titration calorimetry to follow polymer interactions with surfactants, etc
- Controlled stress and controlled strain rheometry for steady shear viscosity and small deformation oscillation measurements
- Capillary break up rheometer (CABER) to measure extensional viscosity
- Electron spin resonance spectroscopy to monitor the configuration of adsorbed polymer molecules
- Photon correlation spectroscopy to determine hydrodynamic volume of polymer molecules and nanoparticles; to measure adsorbed polymer layer thickness
- Doppler Velocimetry for determination of the zeta potential of particles
- Laser diffraction for measuring particle size distributions and flocculation and sedimentation in concentrated emulsions and dispersions
- Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI-TOF) for analysis of biomolecules and other macromolecules
- Dynamic surface tensiometry
- Membrane osmometry for determination of the osmotic pressure of aqueous polymer solutions
- Image analysis for particle/droplet size determination
- Scanning electron microscopy
- Turbiscan for measurement of particle/droplet creaming or sedimentation
- Flow Particle Image Analysis (FPIA) to study particle size and morphology in the range of 1-300 microns, used mainly for measurements of oil-in-water-emulsions
Other general instrumentation includes FTIR, UV Spectroscopy, Fluorimetry, Atomic Absorbtion Spectrophotometry (AAS) Gas Chromatography (GC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).
