Identification of some polymeric materials by low-temperature pyrolysis mass spectrometry

The application of low-temperature pyrolysis mass spectrometry to the identification of some commercial and synthetic polymers using a direct insertion probe and electron ionization has been studied. The polymers were analyzed directly in the solid probe of a mass spectrometer within the ion source at 70 eV electron impact. The quadrupole mass spectrometer, equipped with gas chromatogram software and a library of low molecular weight compounds, was used to characterize the polymers by measuring the chemical structure of the repeat units and the end groups and to examine the thermal degradation pathways. The polymers investigated show different degradation pathways. Investigation of sequences and determination of the composition of co-polymers were studied. Total ion pyrogram and spectrum subtractions were used to separate and measure spectra of pyrolysis steps at distinctly different temperatures.