Quantitation, additives Stabilisers

It is of interest to examine the development of the analytical toolbox for rubber deformulation over the last two decades and the role of emerging technologies (Table 2.9). Bayer technology (1981) for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of rubbers and elastomers consisted of a multitechnique approach comprising extraction (Soxhlet, DIN 53 553), wet chemistry (colour reactions, photometry), electrochemistry (polarography, conductometry), various forms of chromatography (PC, GC, off-line PyGC, TLC), spectroscopy (UV, IR, off-line PylR), and microscopy (OM, SEM, TEM, fluorescence) [10]. Reported applications concerned the identification of plasticisers, fatty acids, stabilisers, antioxidants, vulcanisation accelerators, free/total/bound sulfur, minerals and CB. Monsanto (1983) used direct-probe MS for in situ quantitative analysis of additives and rubber and made use of 31P NMR [69]. 

Kellum [115] has described a class-selective oxidation chemistry procedure for the quantitative determination of secondary antioxidants in extracts of PE and PP with great precision (better than 1 %). Diorgano sulfides and tertiary phosphites can be quantitatively oxidised with /-chloropcroxybenzoic acid to the corresponding sulfones and phosphates with no interference from other stabilisers or additives. Hindered phenols, benzophenones, triazoles, fatty acid amides, and stearate... 

While additive analysis of polyamides is usually carried out by dissolution in HFIP and hydrolysis in 6N HC1, polyphthalamides (PPAs) are quite insoluble in many solvents and very resistant to hydrolysis. The highly thermally stable PPAs can be adequately hydrolysed by means of high pressure microwave acid digestion (at 140-180 °C) in 10 mL Teflon vessels. This procedure allows simultaneous analysis of polymer composition and additives [643]. Also the polymer, oligomer and additive composition of polycarbonates can be examined after hydrolysis. However, it is necessary to optimise the reaction conditions in order to avoid degradation of bisphenol A. In the procedures for the analysis of dialkyltin stabilisers in PVC, described by Udris [644], in some instances the methods can be put on a quantitative basis, e.g. the GC determination of alcohols produced by hydrolysis of ester groups. 

David et al. [184] have shown that cool on-column injection and the use of deactivated thermally stable columns in CGC-FID and CGC-F1D-MS for quantitative determination of additives (antistatics, antifogging agents, UV and light stabilisers, antioxidants, etc.) in mixtures prevents thermal degradation of high-MW compounds. Perkins et al. [101] have reported development of an analysis method for 100 ppm polymer additives in a 500 p,L SEC fraction in DCM by means of at-column GC (total elution time 27 min repeatability 3-7 %). Requirements for the method were (i) on-line (ii) use of whole fraction (LVI) and (iii) determination of high-MW compounds (1200 Da) at low concentrations. Difficult matrix introduction (DMI) and selective extraction can be used for GC analysis of silicone oil contamination in paints and other complex analytical problems. 

Oligomeric additives with broad MWD tend to be a problem in conventional HPLC conditions. In cases where no interest exists in the oligomer distribution it is common practice to solve the problem by creating a uniform structural unit useful for analysis. For example, isocratic (or gradient) LC-UV was used for the determination of the polymeric light stabiliser Tinuvin 622 in polyolefins using dissolution (toluene)/derivatisation (TBAH)-precipitation (alcohol) the diol formed was quantitatively determined by NPLC [653]. 

Braun and Richter [923] have described an application of CE in additive analysis, namely quantitative analysis of heat stabilisers in PVC, such as Irgastab 17A and 18 MOK-N, which are metal-based (in the past usually Cd, Ba and Pb, now nontoxic Ca, Zn and Sn). Quantitative metal analysis is of interest for PVC recycling purposes. Various alternative approaches are possible for such quantitative analysis, such as XRF [924], polarog-raphy [925] and AAS [923], The performance of AAS, CE and complexometric titrations in the analysis of the heavy metal content in PVC was compared [923]. For all methods investigated the metals must be separated from the polymer and transferred into an aqueous phase. 

Stabilisers are usually determined by a time-consuming extraction from the polymer, followed by an IR or UV spectrophotometric measurement on the extract. Most stabilisers are complex aromatic compounds which exhibit intense UV absorption and therefore should show luminescence in many cases. The fluorescence emission spectra of Irgafos 168 and its phosphate degradation product, recorded in hexane at an excitation wavelength of 270 nm, are not spectrally distinct. However, the fluorescence quantum yield of the phosphate greatly exceeds that of the phosphite and this difference may enable quantitation of the phosphate concentration [150]. The application of emission spectroscopy to additive analysis was illustrated for Nonox Cl (/V./V -di-/i-naphthyl-p-phcnylene-diamine) [149] with fluorescence ex/em peaks at 392/490 nm and phosphorescence ex/em at 382/516 nm. Parker and Barnes [151] have reported the use of fluorescence for the determination of V-phenyl-l-naphthylamine and N-phenyl-2-naphthylamine in extracted vulcanised rubber. While pine tar and other additives in the rubber seriously interfered with the absorption spectrophotometric method this was not the case with the fluoromet-ric method. 

It appears that purification of commercially available solvents is sometimes required for the complete elimination of impurity resonances. Occasionally, these impurities may be turned into advantage, as in the case of C2D2CI4 where the (known) C2DHCI4 content may be used as an internal standard for quantitation. Thus, removal of every impurity peak is not always essential for identification and quantitative analysis of stabilisers in PE. Determination of the concentration of additives in a polymer sample can also be accomplished by incorporation of an internal NMR standard to the dissolution prepared for analysis. The internal standard (preferably aromatic) should be stable at the temperature of the NMR experiment, and could be any high-boiling compound which does not generate conflicting NMR resonances, and for which the proton spin-lattice relaxation times are known. 1,3,5-Trichlorobenzene meets the requirements for an internal NMR standard [48]. The concentration should be comparable to that of the analytes to be determined. 

Although there is always debate about quantitative measures of aromaticity, it is agreed that the diazines are less resonance stabilised than pyridines - they are less aromatic . Thus, Diels-Alder additions are known for all three systems, with the heterocycle acting as an azadiene initial adducts lose a small molecule - hydrogen cyanide in the pyrimidine example shown - to afford a final stable product. 

---