Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is a synthetic, semi-crystalline material. It has a wide range of commercial and high-tech applications. PAN homopolymer as well as copolymers (SAN & ABS) are used in many fiber, fabric and structural formulations. PAN can be converted to strong light-weight Carbon Fibers which are key in many aerospace, automotive, sports equipment and many other specialty materials. The purpose of this App Note is to present the precision achievable with an HMJ Y501 Dual Capillary Relative Viscometer (DSV) system. The analysis conditions are listed below. 

Solvent	DMF + 0.02M LiBr
Sample Concentration	0.5 g/dL
Prep Temperature	45C
Dissolution Time	60 Minutes
Analysis Temperature	45C

The data summary clearly shows the superior precision of the instrument. RSD of DSV data is typically less than 1% and the following data supports that claim.

Samples	IV
1 - 1A	1.6502
1 - 1B	1.6507
1 - 2A	1.6537
1 - 2B	1.6533
1 - 3A	1.6538
1 - 3B	1.6533
Average	1.6525
SD	0.0015
RSD	0.09%

In addition to the precision of the data demonstrated above, the relative viscometer presents an easy opportunity to automate a particularly laborious task. Automation can range from a simple autosampler system to fully automated Vortex operation.