Fast Analytics of High-Impact Polypropylene (HIPP)

High-impact polypropylenes(HIPPs) are complex blends, featuringa crystalline isotactic polypropylene matrix and a dispersed phaseconsisting of an amorphous ethylene/propylene copolymer (EPR). Therelative amount of EPR and its composition heavily affect the applicationproperties of the material and need to be accurately controlled. Standardanalytical methods are time- and labor-intensive and require considerableamounts of sample and of a toxic solvent, xylene. Here, we introducean analytical approach to HIPP characterization based on crystallizationelution fractionation. The approach is fast, can be operated on justa few mg of sample, and does not require sophisticated and expensivetechniques.