Although thermal analysis has wide range of applications, to understand thermophysical and chemical changes at a macro-molecular level, it is necessary to perform complex measurements, such as hyphenated methodology combined with other spectroscopic methods to obtain specific micro-molecular information on reaction products. An example of a complex measurement is the thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis-mass spectrometry (TG-DTA-MS), which is a simultaneous measurement technique composed of thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) combined with mass spectrometry (MS) through an interface system. This process has garnered attention as a major thermoanalytical technique. It is suitable for the qualitative analysis of the different gases evolved in response to heating a sample in the TG-DTA process.
This article aims to propose a novel thermoanalytical method that integrates a “skimmer-type interface” and a “photoionization method” in order to overcome the serious disadvantages of the conventional TG-DTA-MS. A simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis and photoionization mass spectrometry (TGDTA- PIMS) system equipped with a unique skimmertype interface has been thus successfully developed.
The principles and the instrumental composition of the TG-DTA-PIMS are described in detail and compared with those of the conventional TG-DTA-MS. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique, the results of its application to the evolved gas analysis of typical polymeric materials are presented.