Molecular characterization

• MALDI-TOF (mass spectrometry of polymers): Applied Biosystems Voyager DE STR
• Molecular weight determination:

1. GPC Waters - CHCl 3 (RI + UV detection)/Breeze Software (http://www.waters.com) + autoinjector (Gilson 234)
2. GPC Waters - THF (RI + UV detection)
3. Fullu automated Preparative GPC
   (http://www.shimadzu.com)
4. GPC Waters: special solvents (DMA, NMP, DMF)/Empower Software
5. Polymer Labs/Varian GPC50 LS15/LS90/RI/UV/DP - THF

• On-line FTIR for reaction monitoring of polymerizations: React-IR 4000 Instrument (Mettler Toledo).
• Direct access to NMR 300, 500 and 700 Mhz (more info)
• HPLC (Shimadzu)
• UV Spectrometer (Analyticjena, Specord)
• Gas chromatography (GC 8000, Carlo Erba)

• Viscosimetry:

1. Ubbelohde viscosimeter
2. Rotation viscosimetry    
3. Brookfield viscosimetry

Thermal and mechanical analysis

• Thermal analysis:

1. DSC Perkin Elmer 7 (more info)
   
   
2. DMA 2980 (TA Instruments) (www.TAinstruments.com)
   
   
3. Thermogravimetry (TGA/SDTA851e, Mettler Toledo, resolution balance 100 ng) (more info)

• Controlled Stress Rheometer CS50 (Bohlin Instruments)

• Dual column testing machine with temperature controlled chamber (with liquid N2) for tensile, bending and compression measurements (Tinius Olsen Instrument H10KT, 10 KN capacity). (more info)

Visualization and surface analysis

• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): Molecular Imaging
  (Pico Plus instrument, 2006)(www.agilent.com/find/nano)
  [Technical specifications AFM (PDF)]
  
  
  
• High resolution Transmission Electron Microscope
  (Cs-corrected EF FEG HR-TEM, Jeol Instrument JEM-2200FS). (more info)
  
  
  
• Optical microscopy (magnification 5 to 700) + heating stage
  
  
  
• Direct access to SEM, XRD, XPS, … (http://solid.ugent.be/)

Polymer engineering

• Twin extruder (APV) + Granulator (Reactive extrusion research)
  
  
  
• Polymer mixer: Brabender Plastograph (http://www.brabender.com)
  
  
  
• Melt Flow Indexer (Davenport)