Thermal degradation of novolac resins by pyrolysis-gas chromatography witha movable reaction zone

A previously described, a pyrolysis device with a movable reaction zone was used in the present work for thermal degradation of novolac resins. The pr oducts of thermal reactions were analysed by pyrolysis-GC. Owing to the hea ting of reaction zone to the maximal temperature of the chromatographic col umn, the high boiling pyrolysis products could be analysed. Bisphenols and trisphenols with aromatic rings coupled by methylene bridges and its methyl derivatives have been found among the compounds. The structure of the heav y pyrolysis products has been confirmed using GC-MS. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.