Analysis of Polymeric Flame Retardants in Engineering Thermoplastics by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography with an Atomic Emission Detector

Halogen-containing polymeric flame retardants in engineering thermoplastics have been analyzed by pyrolysis gas chromatography (Py-GC) with an atomic emission detector (AED) and a mass selective detector (MSD). The atomic emission detector is very effective in monitoring halogen-containing pyrolysates after Py-GC. The type of polymeric flame retardant used in thermoplastics can be identified by peak pattern recognition through an AED halogen element trace. In this study, a set of thermoplastic resins containing different brominated polymeric flame retardants have been studied. After generation of the pyrogram by Py-GC/AED, those pyrolysates produced from polymeric flame retardants were identified by MSD analysis of a complex total ion chromatogram (TIC) generated by the thermoplastic resins. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of the AED in the tasks of specific element monitoring and component pattern recognition. The advantages and disadvantages of using the AED are also discussed.