Calculating Molecular Weights of Polymer

Usually information about the molecular weight distribution is obtained

from size exclusion chromatography.

Data will look something like this:

Number of molecules Mass of each molecule

1 8,000
3 7,500
5 7,000
8 6,500
10 6,000
13 5,500
20 5,000
13 4,500
10 4,000
8 3,500
5 3,000
3 2,500
1 2,000

Calculate Mn and Mw. What is the polydispersity of the polymer sample?

Observed that Σ Nx = 100

Tabulate data as below:

Number of Mass of each Total Mass of

molecules molecule each type of NxMx2
Nx Mx molecule
NxMx
1 8,000 8,000
3 7,500 22,500
5 7,000 35,000
8 6,500 52,000
10 6,000 60,000
13 5,500 71,500
20 5,000 100,000
13 4,500 58,500
10 4,000 40,000
8 3,500 28,000
5 3,000 15,000
3 2,500 7,500
1 2,000 2,000
Σ NxMx =
500,000