D4001-20 – Standard Test Method Technical Guide

🌐 Introduction and Scope

The standard D4001-20 describes test procedures for determining the weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of polymers using light scattering. This method is applicable to nonionic homopolymers, including both linear and branched structures, that dissolve completely without reaction or degradation to form stable solutions. The procedure also enables the determination of the second virial coefficient (A2), which quantifies polymer-solvent interactions, and the root-mean-square radius of gyration ((s^2)^(1/2)), indicating polymer chain dimensions.

Copolymers and polyelectrolytes are explicitly excluded from this standard