New methods for the characterization of essential distributions

The detailed analysis of polymeric materials is one of the necessary steps to elucidate the relationship between the chemical distributions of a polymer and the functional properties of a material. Within the UNMATCHED project (UNderstanding MATerials by CHaracterizing Essential Distributions) many techniques have been investigated – or further developed – to aid in the analysis of such materials. The primary focus of this thesis was on using liquid chromatography (LC) in innovative ways to analyze polymer chemical distributions. Additionally, chemometric strategies that help improve the interpretability of the data obtained from these methods were investigated and documented in later chapters.