Long chain branching in low density polyethylene: 1. Molecular structure

Abstract Commercial grade low density polyethylenes (LDPE), manufactured by conventional and modified tubular and vessel reactors have been investigated in order to point out the correlations between rheological behaviour and chain structure i.e. their long chain branching ( LCB ). Preparative gel permeation chromatography has been used to obtain narrow polymer fractions ready for both structural and rheological evaluation. The long chain branching investigation, reported in this first paper, has been performed by viscometric and light scattering measurements. The results indicate that the manufacturing technologies chosen mostly influence the LCB of the polymers.