The Institute for Neutron Scattering features its own polymer synthesis and characterization division. It consists of three laboratory rooms.

The synthesis lab is in particular equipped and designed for anionic polymerization. The polymerizations are performed basically under high vacuum using either Schlenk techniques or completely sealed glass reactors. For the polymerization of liquid gas monomers, e. g. ethylene oxide and butadiene the equipment was lately complemented with a stainless steel Büchi reactor. The laboratory also includes a glove box for operations with and storage of air and moisture sensitive materials under inert gas atmosphere. On the basis of a long lasting experience model polymers of different kind can be prepared ranging from linear homopolymers to branched block copolymers of well defined molar mass and molar mass distribution, composition and architecture.

The other two labs are utilized for the characterization of the produced polymers. The first laboratory is equipped with instruments basically used for the determination of the molar mass characteristics, while the second laboratory contains instruments which are used for the determination of other physical properties, e.g. surface tension, interfacial tension, density etc..