Analysis of Recycled Polyesters by MALDI-TOFMS (2)

Introduction

The recycling of plastic products has increased in recent years due to the enactment of recycling-related laws aimed at protecting the global environment. Along with this, there is a growing need for faster and more detailed analysis of recycled products. For example, instead of analyzing an entire polymer, a less challenging analysis of only the related oligomers could provide sufficient information. Traditionally, oligomer analysis has been conducted using various techniques, including rough separation using the precipitation method, combined with a variety of chromatographic and spectrometric techniques. More recently, MALDI-TOFMS has become widely used for oligomer analysis. Application of MALDI- TOFMS allows terminal group and monomer unit information to be obtained very quickly. Here, we introduce an example of recycled polymer analysis for polycarbonates using a combination of oligomer rough separation by the precipitation method with MALDI-TOFMS.

September 15, 2011 GMT