Quantitative TG-MS analysis of evolved gases during the thermal decomposition of carbon containing solids

Abstract Quantitative thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) method was developed for the determination of the composition of gases evolved during the decomposition of solids. The present method is based on the linear relationship between the amount of evolved gases and the peak area for corresponding fragment ion via proportionality constant ( K ) which gains the similar values for all evolved gaseous products. Determination and verification of K were performed with the various initial mass of CaC 2 O 4 ∙H 2 O decomposing with the evolution of H 2 O, CO, and CO 2 . The resulted values of the proportionality constants reach (3.32 ± 0.11) × 10 7 for H 2 O, (3.35 ± 0.08) × 10 7 for CO, and (3.27 ± 0.07) × 10 7 for CO 2 . The developed TG-MS method was verified at the decomposition of (COOH) 2 ∙2H 2 O, NaHCO 3 and HCOONa. By applying the average value of K for the determination of the composition of gaseous products evolved from the previously mentioned three substances, a quite good correspondence between theoretically and experimentally calculated composition can be found. The results imply that developed TG-MS method might be a useful tool to detect quantitatively the amount of evolved gases during the thermal decomposition of carbonaceous materials.