Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry System (TGA-IR-GC/MS)

Description

This system consists of four instruments: a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), an infrared spectrophotometer (IR), a gas chromatograph (GC), and a mass spectrometer (MS) hyphenated by two transfer lines. The transfer lines are heated at 270oC to avoid condensation of the decomposition products. This TGA-IR-GC/MS system allows the decomposition/volatilisation of a sample by heating, measure its mass loss, and simultaneously analyze the chemical composition of the sample. The mass spectrometer is used (with the help of the NIST MS Search Program) to identify the composition of the evolved gas. The gas chromatograph can be used to resolve each component through the column and better distinguish a sample’s chemical composition by the MS. The IR data can be coupled to the TGA and/or GC/MS results to confirm the chemical identity determined by the NIST library.

This system can be used in all areas of fundamental research as well as in industrial applications, notably for the characterization of materials in the fields of energy storage devices, polymers, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, petroleum, rubber, food, etc.  Specifically, this system can be used for the identification of harmful chemicals in soil, the quantification of components in polymers, the determination of leachable substances that may contaminate product packaging and the identification of phthalates in PVC samples..

Technical specifications:

TGA:

            Balance Performance:

o            Sensitivity: 0.1 µg

o            Capacity: 1300 mg

o            Accuracy: better than 0.02%

o            Precision: 0.01 %

            Temperature Specifications:

o            Range: ambient to 1200 °C

o            Scan rates: 0.1 °C/min to 500 °C/min

o            Precision: ±1 °C

            Cooling Method:

o            Forced air cooled with an external fan.

o            Cycle time: 1100 °C to 50 °C in less than13 mi

            Atmospheres: argon, helium, nitrogen

FT-IR:

            Detector: LiTaO3 (lithium tantalate)

            Optical windows: KBr

            Range: 8300 à 350 cm-1

            Resolution: 0.5 cm-1

            Zero-Gravity gas cell

GC:

            Temperature range: room temperature to 270°C

            Chromatographic column: Crossbond, 5% diphenyl/95% dimethyl polysiloxane (Restek Rxi-5Sil MS)

MS:

            Ionization mode: electron impact ionization (EI+)

            Mass range: 1.0 to 1200 m/z (amu)

            Analyzer: quadrupole with prefilter

            Library: NIST Mass Spectral Library Ver. 2.3 (2017)