Thermal decomposition of chemotherapeutic preparations and expectorants.

The thermal decomposition of 31 drugs containing sulphonamides, antituberculous agents, dyes, an oxidant, carboxylic acid derivatives and formaldehyde, expectorants and codeine phosphate has been studied by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetry (TG). The DTA, TG and differential TG curves have been used for identification of the drugs and their qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results for 18 of the drugs were in good agreement with those calculated from the formulation.