BioChromato Inc. has published a report describing how its ionRocket sample preparation device, used in combination with Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) and Kendrick Mass Defect (KMD) analysis, provides a valuable new tool for chain analysis of fluoroelastomers.
Fluoropolymers are widely used in automotive parts and many other industrial products because of their excellent heat, chemical and abrasion resistance. Since copolymerisation and chain end modification are used to achieve high polymer functionality, structural analysis is important for product development and to understand how a fluoropolymer might degrade.
However, traditional techniques such as Pyrolysis GC/MS allow only information on the constituent monomers to be obtained. It is also difficult to obtain MALDI-MS spectra from fluoropolymers – a class of materials that have, to date, proven difficult to structurally analyse.
The ionRocket is a temperature-heating device for direct thermal desorption and pyrolysis of samples, prior to ionisation and analysis by mass spectrometry. Using the instrument, a temperature gradient from ambient up to 600ºC can be achieved in just a few minutes – enabling fluoropolymers to be pyrolysed and then introduced into the DART-MS gas stream.
The report shows how the ion-Rocket DART-MS technique can be used to detect the pyrolysis products of fluoroelastomers from low to high molecular weight. This capability allows the technique to be applied to the chain analysis of fluoroelastomers. In addition, by using KMD analysis, the detected pyrolysis components can be understood relatively easily.
To read the application report in full please CLICK HERE. For further information on the ionRocket please visit https://biochromato.com/analyticalinstruments/ionrocket_/ or contact BioChromato Inc. on +81-466-23-8382 / europe@bicr.co.jp / northamerica@bicr.co.jp and enquiries@bicr.co.jp.
