Analytical Sciences

Quantitative Analysis of Red Phosphorus in Polypropylene by Evolved Gas Analysis Mass Spectrometry

Takahisa ISHIMURA,* Atsushi WATANABE,* Chuichi WATANABE,* and Norio TERAMAE*,**

*Frontier Laboratories Ltd., 4-16-20 Saikon, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-8862, Japan
**Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan

Quantitative analysis of red phosphorus in polypropylene was studied using a temperature programmable pyrolyzer in combination with a mass spectrometer. Evolved gas analysis (EGA) profiles were obtained by continuous measurements of evolved gases from a sample while heating the sample at a constant heating rate. During heating of the sample, red phosphorus sublimates into P₄ molecules, which have characteristic ions (m/z 31, 62, 93 and 124). Red phosphorus in polypropylene was determined from the m/z 62 ion peak area of the EGA profile with good reproducibility. The determined value was close to the value of original formulation and to the one determined by pyrolysis-GC/MS.

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