Analysis of flame retardant additives in polymer fractions of waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) by means of HPLC-UV/MS and GPC-HPLC-UV.
An HPLC-UV/MS method has been developed to identify and quantify flame retardants in post-consumer plastics from waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEE). Atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation spectra of 15 brominated and phosphate-based flame retardants were recorded and interpreted. The method was applied to detect flame retardant additives in polymer extracts obtained from pressurised liquid extraction of solid polymers. In addition, a screening method was developed for soluble styrene polymers to isolate a flame retardant fraction through the application of gel permeation chromatography (GPC). This fraction was transferred to an online-coupled HPLC column and detected by UV spectroscopy, which allowed a reliable qualitative and quantitative analysis of brominated flame retardants in the polymer solutions.
Schlummer
Martin
M
Department Product Safety and Analysis, Fraunhofer-Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging, Giggenhauser Str 35, D-85354 Freising, Germany. martin.schlummer@ivv.fraunhofer.de
Brandl
Fritz
F
Mäurer
Andreas
A
van Eldik
Rudi
R
D002850:Chromatography, Gel / Q000379:methods*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet / Q000379:methods*
D005411:Flame Retardants