Analysis of polymers using evolved gas analysis - mass spectrometry and thermal desorption pyrolysis - mass spectrometry

Kateřina Skleničková
Lecture of the lecture cycle
30.4.2026 10:30, Lecture room A

Among scientists and the public is growing concern about the contamination of natural environments by plastics, particularly micro- and nanoplastics. This challenge is being addressed using a two-prong approach: a) ensuring effective assessment of the contamination and b) development of new biodegradable materials. Either approach requires effective characterization methods. Common characterization methods of microplastics in environmental samples often require extensive sample processing to isolate particles, followed by spectroscopic methods to provide insights on polymer composition. How can these samples be analyzed without requiring pre-treatment/preparation, such as pressurized solvent extraction or ultrafiltration to concentrate nanoplastics? This presentation will demonstrate an effective application of two methods: EGA-MS (evolved gas analysis-mass spectrometry) and TD-Py-GC-MS (thermal desorption pyrolysis-gas chromatography-MS). In this work, the degradation mechanism in fully aliphatic polyurethane (Al-PUR) foams was analyzed using a combination of EGA-MS and multi-shot TD-Py-GC-MS enabling thermoanalytical investigation. Al-PUR studied foams that were degraded under various accelerated conditions, including thermal degradation, UV radiation, and accelerated hydrolysis. The characterization results showed UV radiation as the most effective degrading condition during which both diol and isocyanate segments in the Al-PUR network were highly fragmented.

The lecture is presented in English