Synergic chemical analysis - the coupling of TG with FTIR, MS and GC-MS - 1. The determination of the gases released during the thermal oxidation of a printed circuit board

This contribution reports the coupling of TG with FTIR, MS and GC-MS (Syner gic chemical analysis). During thermogravimetric analysis the gases evolved are analysed using 'real-time' FTIR and MS. Simultaneously the gases are c ollected on an absorbent trap (organic trap module, OTM) for subsequent ana lysis using GC-MS. As an example the technique has been used to identify th e products evolved from a printed circuit board during thermal oxidation. T he use of TG-FTIR-MS-OTM-GC-MS provided information that could not be avail able through single techniques alone. For example, it was possible to ascer tain the temperature range over which bromophenol was released. (C) 1999 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.