Polymer additive analysis by pyrolysis-gas chromatography. II. Flame retardants.

Flame retardants are widely used in thermoplastic polymers for household and transportation applications. Flame retardants as well as most of the other additives in the polymer can be qualitatively analyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC) simultaneously with the polymer composition. The key to successful analysis of flame retardants not only requires a thorough knowledge of the various types of flame retardants but also necessitates an understanding of the parent polymer and its targeted applications. In this study, several flame retardants in different polymer matrices have been studied to demonstrate the utility of Py-GC for the analysis of flame retardants. The advantages of Py-GC for flame retardants analysis have also been discussed.