Polymer additive analysis by pyrolysis–gas chromatography: IV. Antioxidants

Antioxidants are important additives in polymers. Because of the low level of antioxidants normally used, they cannot be analyzed directly by common spectroscopic or thermal chemical techniques. However, antioxidants as well as other additives in polymers can be qualitatively analyzed by pyrolysis–gas chromatography (Py–GC) after separating the polymers and additives. In this study, several antioxidants have been investigated to demonstrate that Py–GC is a viable tool to analyze them. The advantages of using Py–GC in the analysis of antioxidants have also been discussed.