PTG Eindhoven -Research & innovation | Analysis & Advice

Bio-based aliphatic/aromatic poly(trimethylene furanoate/sebacate) random copolymers: Correlation between mechanical, gas barrier performances and compostability and copolymer

January 11, 2022
Scientific Publications

Agata Zubkiewicz, Anna Szymczyk, Rafaël J. Sablong, Michelina Soccio, Giulia Guidotti, Valentina Siracusa, Nadia Lotti
Polymer Degradation and Stability, 195,2022, 109800

Warm Season’s Greetings from PTG/e!

December 22, 2021
News

We would like to wish you all the best for 2022 and thank our customers for the cooperation and trust that has been given to us again over the past year.
Looking forward to strengthening our partnerships and developing our collaborations in the upcoming year, providing innovative and professional support.

Our laboratories will be closed December 25, 2021 till January 2, 2022.

With kind regards, Team PTG/e

Identifying complex and unknown materials with TGA-IR-GC-MS ‘Hyphenation setup’

December 7, 2021
Cases

By combining the analysis techniques TGA, FT-IR and GC-MS via coupling of the devices one obtains a powerful analysis technique. With this TGA-IR-GC-MS ‘Hyphenation setup’ it is possible to identify complex and unknown materials.

PTG/e makes use of a TGA-IR-GC-MS ‘Hyphenation setup’ from PerkinElmer.
Some applications for this technique are:

The identification of additives, like plasticizers, in plastics
Determination of the primary components of a material
Analysis of unknown contaminations in a material, like fragrances or solvents

To characterize a material, it is first placed in the oven of the TGA, where it is heated with a programmed heating rate. During heating, weight loss can occur due to thermal decomposition or solvent evaporation. The evolved gases from these events are transferred via a transfer line to a heated chamber of the FT-IR. There, the gas is exposed to an infrared beam. The functional groups in the measured gas each respond differently to infrared radiation, which helps to identify the molecules.

IR spectrum

Following the FT-IR, the gas is transferred via another transfer line to be injected onto the column of the GC. Depending of the affinity of the injected gas with the column, the temperature of the column and the speed of the carrier gas, the injected gas has a certain retention time. Different components have a different retention time, which enables the GC to separate the individual components of the injected gas.

An mass spectrometer (MS) is located at the end of the column. In the MS, the separated components are ionized and brought into an electric field. This field will accelerate the ionized components to a certain speed, depending on their mass and charge. The MS uses this principle to create a spectrum, which, together with the retention time of the GC, is unique for each component. Combining the data from FT-IR and GC-MS, the individual components of the evolved gases from TGA can be characterized.

Aside from the fully hyphenated setup, it is also possible to use the individual analysis techniques, or a partially hyphenated setup, for example TGA – IR or TGA – GC-MS. The specific required setup will depend on what needs to be analyzed exactly.