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Characterization of Additives in Polyvinyl Chloride Using Infrared Spectroscopy and Evolved Gas Analysis-Mass
Shogo Yamane1, Yasumasa Suzuki1, Hideyuki Shinzawa1
1Research Institute for Sustainable Chemistry, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan.
Evolved gas analysis-mass spectrometry (EGA-MS) combined with 2D correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) effectively identifies plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This method distinguishes additives by analyzing thermal desorption patterns before polymer decomposition.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Phthalate plasticizers are common additives in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymers.
- Distinguishing structurally similar plasticizers using traditional methods like infrared (IR) spectroscopy is challenging.
- Understanding additive behavior during thermal processing is crucial for material characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a method for identifying individual phthalate-based plasticizers in PVC.
- To investigate the thermal desorption behavior of plasticizers in PVC.
- To elucidate the sequence of spectral changes during additive desorption using advanced spectroscopic techniques.
Main Methods:
- Infrared (IR) spectroscopy was used to observe plasticizer signals.
- Evolved gas analysis-mass spectrometry (EGA-MS) was employed to analyze volatile compounds released from PVC during heating.
- Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) was applied to mass spectra to analyze temperature-dependent spectral changes.
Main Results:
- EGA-MS showed characteristic ion signal increases between 100-220°C, indicating plasticizer desorption before PVC decomposition.
- IR spectroscopy struggled to differentiate between structurally similar plasticizers.
- 2D-COS analysis of EGA-MS data revealed distinct correlation peaks for bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate.
Conclusions:
- EGA-MS coupled with 2D-COS provides a powerful approach for identifying individual additives in polymer matrices.
- This technique overcomes the limitations of IR spectroscopy in distinguishing structurally similar plasticizers.
- The study demonstrates effective characterization of polymer additives based on their thermal desorption profiles.
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