Fast atom bombardment rubber

Lattimer, R. R, Harris, R. E., Ross, D. B. and Diem, H. E., Identification of rubber additives by field desorption and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Rubber Chem. Technol, 57, 1013, 1984. 

Hayes and Altenau [34] were the first to report the use of MS to directly characterise antioxidants and processing oil additives in synthetic rubbers. Since then, various MS techniques have been applied to the analysis of rubber and polymer additives either as extracts or on the sample surface by laser techniques as reviewed by Lattimer and Harris [35]. Lattimer reviewed the present situation regarding MS in polymer analysis [36]. Analysis of polymer extracts by MS has proved challenging. Electron impact mass spectra (EI-MS) are often difficult to interpret due to the high concentration of processing oils and the additives in the extract, and excessive fragmentation of the molecular ions. Desorption/ionisation techniques such as field desorption (ED) and fast atom bombardment (FAB) have been found to be the most effective means for analysing polymer and rubber extracts [37, 38]. 

Lattimer and co-workers [25] have applied mass spectrometry (MS) to the determination of antioxidants and antiozonants in rubber vulcanisates. Direct thermal desorption was used with three different ionisation methods [electron impact (El), chemical ionisation (Cl), field ionisation (FI)]. The vulcanisates were also examined by direct fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) as a means for surface desorption/ionisation. Rubber extracts were examined directly by these four ionisation methods. Of the various vaporisation/ionisation methods, it appears that field ionisation is the most efficient for identifying organic additives in the rubber vulcanisates. Other ionisation methods may be required, however, for detection of specific types of additives. There was no clear advantage for direct analysis as compared to extract analysis. Antiozonants examined include aromatic amines and a hindered bisphenol. These compounds could be identified quite readily by either extraction or direct analysis and by use of any vaporisation/ionisation method. 

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