title: Error analysis for NMR polymer microstructure measurement without calibration standards.
abstract: We report an error analysis method for primary analytical methods in the absence of calibration standards. Quantitative (13)C NMR analysis of ethylene/1-octene (E/O) copolymers is given as an example. Because the method is based on a self-calibration scheme established by counting, it is a measure of accuracy rather than precision. We demonstrate it is self-consistent and neither underestimate nor excessively overestimate the experimental errors. We also show the method identified previously unknown systematic biases in a NMR instrument. The method can eliminate unnecessary data averaging to save valuable NMR resources. The accuracy estimate proposed is not unique to (13)C NMR spectroscopy of E/O but should be applicable to all other measurement systems where the accuracy of a subset of the measured responses can be established.
authors.affiliation: The Dow Chemical Company, Building 1897, Midland, Michigan 48674, USA. sqiu@dow.com
authors.forename: XiaoHua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Gian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: Oscar D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Redwine