ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

GC/MS analysis of gaseous degradation products formed during extrusion blow molding process of PE films

Joachim Stasiek, Rafał Malinowski, Tomasz Ligor, and Bogusław Buszewski

Institute for Engineering of Polymer Materials and Dyes M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 55, 87-100 Toruń, Poland

E-mail: bbusz@chem.umk.pl

Abstract: Results of the investigation of volatile organic compounds emission during polyethylene extrusion are presented. Two polymers of different processing properties were tested, namely linear low density polyethylene (ExxonMobil) and high density polyethylene (Liten FB 29). Blowing film extrusion in experimental technological line using a single screw extruder as the imported element was done. VOCs were collected on sorbent tubes containing Tenax. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was applied for the identification of volatile degradation products. PE LLD material emits a significantly larger amount of hydrocarbons than PE-HD. Its emission contains mainly C18 and C20 hydrocarbons (alkanes, 1-alkenes, and α,ω-alkadienes). In case of the PE-HD polymer, lower degradation was observed and C18 and C23 hydrocarbons were emitted.

Keywords: polyethylene - degradation - volatile organic compounds - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.2478/s11696-010-0050-6

Chemical Papers 64 (5) 579–583 (2010)