NMR: expertise description

NMR has become synonymous with identification of compounds. It can be used not only for identifying small organic molecules but also for polymers or even the complete three-dimensional structure of huge biomolecules.
But NMR is also a very powerful technique for quantitative analysis, for example the number of branches in polyolefines, the absolute purity of a compound, the average molecular weight (based on endgroups), the percentage of rubber in a blend, or even the optical purity of chiral molecules. All these data can be measured at various temperatures and pressures for dozens of different nuclei(proton, carbon, phosphorous, silicon etc.).It does not make much difference whether the compounds are coloured or filled, or whether they are not soluble because both liquid (LNMR) and solid state (SNMR) are available.
Not only the chemical but also the physical composition of compounds and materials can be analysed, for instance the network density of rubbers or the molecular orientation in a fibre.Even on-line quality control is possible.
Clearly, NMR can be used for almost any product.

Applications and products

Structure elucidation, characterisation of polyMers.
Quality control (Low resolution sNMR) Network characterisation, imaging.

POLYMERS/RESINS
PE: type and amount of unsaturation, type and amount of comonomer microphase structure, additives.
PP: tacticity, sequence determination.
EPDM: E/P ratio, third monomer, vulcanized products.
(U)MF: F/M ratio, methylol- bridgegroups, additives (competitor analysis), physical structure, melamine phosphates.
Engineering Plastics: chemical composition, endgroups, network structure Competitor products.

FINE CHEMICALS
Identification of an unknown compound (e.g. in a HPLC chromatogram).
Structure of (diastereo)isomers, optical purity of chiral compounds.
Elucidation of a reaction mechanism in homogeneous catalysis, kinetics.