Verification of simultaneous screening for major restricted additives in polymer materials using pyrolyzer/thermal desorption gas–chromatography mass spectrometry (Py/TD-GC-MS)

Abstract The purpose of this study is to offer a quick and efficient way to screen out harmful additives in polymer materials and help in reducing the burden of confirming compliance with chemical regulations. Previous studies have demonstrated the possibility of using pyrolyzer/thermal desorption gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py/TD-GC–MS) to simultaneously determine various restricted additives in polymer materials on regulatory levels. However, in reality, such a screening technique has not yet been implemented, except for certain phthalates. The screening method has to be verified with actual samples before it can be accepted as a practical approach. Since there is no certified reference material (CRM) available for simultaneous determination of multiple additives, finding appropriate test samples is particularly crucial in the verification process. As a realistic solution to combat this situation, in-house reference materials (RMs) containing plasticizers and flame retardants were prepared as alternatives to CRMs from the mixtures of a standard solution and polymer solutions. Then, the analyte concentrations of the in-house RMs were screened via Py/TD-GC–MS. The results exhibited more than 70% of the setup values with a few exceptions. With regard to reproducibility, the relative standard deviation was less than 10% in most cases.