Postgraduate. Advanced characterization of biomaterials.

Research Project, 2018 – 2019

Non-ionic cellulose ethers produced by AkzoNobel are used in a veriety of applications, e.g. as thickener, stabilizer and waer-retaining agent in water-based decorative paint. Many chemical parameters influence teh performance of cellulose ethers in final applications. These include molecular weight, molecular eight distribution, degree of substitution (DS) and molar subsititution (MS). In addition, the microstructure of the polymer, i.e. the substitution patterns of the glucose unit and variations of these along the cellulose chain are bought to be equally important. No analyctical methods currently exist to asses such chemical variations. AkzoNobel needs efficient, accurate and detailed characterization methods to correlate structure with performance in final applications. The central part of the project is to develop characterization methods capable of determeniation of DSMe, DSEt, MSEO and MS hydrophobe with improved accuracy and precision compared to the methods used today.