Analysis of Br in Plastic by ICP-AES

Introduction

In modern society where the recycling of energy resources has become a priority, it is needless to say that recycling of the huge quantities of generated plastics waste or recycling it as an energy resource is an important matter. However, some portion of plastic waste contains brominated flame retardants, and understanding of the quantity of bromine contained in these plastics from the standpoint of environmental control is important for the promotion of appropriate recycling processing. In 2009, the Japan Industrial Standard (JIS) K7392 “Waste Plastics-Test Method for Total Bromine Contents”, regarding the analysis of bromine in plastics, was established. According to this standard, the bromine contained in plastic is gasified through combustion, absorbed into an absorption solution, and that solution is submitted to measurement by ion chromatography to determine the bromine content. However, bromine in a liquid sample can also be measured using ICP emission by analysis with an instrument capable of short-wavelength measurement in the vacuum ultraviolet region. Here, we introduce an example of measurement of such an absorption solution, obtained by the sample combustion preparation method, using an ICP emission spectrometer.

September 14, 2011 GMT