High-performance size-exclusion chromatography of poly- and oligoethylene terephthalate using a mixture of hexafluoroisopropanol and chloroform as the mobile phase

Abstract Solvent systems using a mixture of hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) and chloroform (CHCl 3 ) were developed for the analysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and its oligomers by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) at room temperature (25°C). The molecular weight distribution of PET and PET film were determined using HFIP-CHCl 3 (1:9) and the SEC calibration graph of polystyrenes, which are insoluble in HFIP. These mixed solvents also had considerable advantages with regard to cost reduction and safety in comparison with HFIP alone.