Thermal stability of vitamin C: thermogravimetric analysis and use of total ion monitoring chromatograms.

The thermal decomposition kinetics and shelf life of vitamin C in nitrogen or air were studied by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and evolved-gas analysis-lithium-ion attachment mass spectrometry (EGA-Li⁺IAMS). Arrhenius parameters obtained via TGA were reported for thermal decomposition. For vitamin C in a nitrogen atmosphere, the activation energy (E(a)) was 25.1 kcal/mol and the pre-exponential factor (A) was 2.5 × 10¹¹ min⁻¹. The kinetic parameters estimated via TGA agreed with values estimated from a pyrogram when the weight loss observed by TGA was shown to be due to gas evolution as a result of decomposition of the compound. Thermal stability was expressed by calculating the time for 10% of the vitamin C to decompose at 25 °C (t(90%,25 °C)). The t(90%,25 °C) for vitamin C obtained via TGA or EGA-Li⁺IAMS was higher in nitrogen (2.0 and 2.0 years, respectively) than in air (1.3 and 1.6 years, respectively). This indicates that the type of atmosphere influences vitamin C stability.