Method and apparatus for analyzing brominated compounds

Abstract

Analysis is carried out by the steps of putting a sample of an inflammable material on a support formed of a heat resistant material; heating the sample; depositing a combustion gas containing initial evaporation components evaporated and scattered from the sample in an early stage of a combustion process of the sample to an inspected substrate; and inspecting the deposit on the substrate and detecting and analyzing brominated compounds. According to this analysis method, there is provided a method, for analyzing detrimental brominated compounds contained in an inflammable material such as PBB and PBDE, which does not require pre-treatment for preparing a measurement sample but is capable of executing high precision high sensitivity analysis by using an economical apparatus and a simple analytical technology.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing an analyzing apparatus for a bromine-type flame retardant according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is an infrared spectrum diagram obtained by plotting the analytical results for DBDE deposited on a glass sheet in Example 1, and

FIG. 3 is an infrared spectrum diagram obtained by plotting analytical results for an ABS sheet containing 1 wt % of DBDE in Comparative Example 1.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing a brominated compound, contained in an inflammable material capable of generating a detrimental brominated compound when it is burnt, comprising: putting a sample of the inflammable material on a support formed of a heat resistant material;heating the sample of the inflammable material;depositing evaporation components evaporated and scattered from the sample during a heating process of the sample onto a substrate; andinspecting a deposit on the substrate, and detecting and analyzing the brominated compound.

2. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1, wherein the deposit on the substrate is in-situ analyzed or analyzed after it is transferred to another place.

3. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the inflammable material is a plastic material or a synthetic rubber material.

4. An analyzing method as defined in claim 3, wherein the plastic material is used for producing a member constituting an electronic appliance.

5. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the brominated compound is polybromobiphenyl or polybromodiphenylether contained in a bromine-type flame retardant.

6. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate, a silicon substrate having an oxide film on a surface thereof or a substrate having a gold film on a surface thereof.

7. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is further equipped with cooling means in the proximity thereof.

8. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support includes heating means in the proximity thereof.

9. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support is a hot plate or a sample holder member put on a hot plate.

10. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support is an aggregate of two or more supports each supporting thereon a sample of the inflammable material and guided, either intermittently or continuously, above, heating means arranged below a combustion portion of the sample.

11. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the deposit on the substrate is heated at a temperature of 200 to 300° C.

12. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the deposit on the substrate is in-situ analyzed by infrared spectrophotometry to determine the brominated compound.

13. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the deposit on the substrate is analyzed by a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, a far infrared spectrophotometer, a near infrared spectrophotometer or a Raman spectrophotometer to determine the brominated compound.

14. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the support and the substrate are arranged in such a fashion that the evaporation gas from the sample of the inflammable material on the support exclusively moves towards the deposition surface of the substrate, both of them are encompassed by a casing, an opening is formed at the upper part of the casing, and an evaporation gas suction apparatus is further provided.

15. An analyzing method as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of putting the sample of the inflammable material on the support formed of the heat resistant material and heating the sample of the inflammable material is repeated, and a deposit, in an amount sufficient for the analysis, is formed on the substrate.

16. An apparatus for analyzing a brominated compound contained in an inflammable material capable of generating a detrimental brominated compound when it is burnt, comprising: a support for putting thereon a sample of the inflammable material, formed of a heat resistant material;a heating means for heating the sample of the inflammable material, arranged in the proximity of the support;a substrate for depositing thereon evaporated components evaporated and scattered from the sample during heating of the sample, arranged above the support; andan analyzing instrument for inspecting a deposit on the substrate, and detecting and analyzing the brominated compound.

17. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the inflammable material is a plastic material or a synthetic rubber material.

18. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the plastic material is used for producing a member constituting an electronic appliance.

19. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the brominated compound is polybromobiphenyl or polybromodiphenylether contained in a bromine-type flame retardant.

20. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the substrate is a glass substrate, a silicon substrate having an oxide film on a surface thereof or a substrate having a gold film on a surface thereof.

21. An analyzing apparatus, as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the substrate is further equipped with cooling means in the proximity thereof.

22. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the support includes heating means in the proximity thereof.

23. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the support is a hot plate or a sample holder member put on the hot plate.

24. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the support further includes conveyor means for guiding, either intermittently or continuously, said support above a heating means arranged below a combustion portion of the sample constituted by an aggregate of two or more supports each supporting thereon a sample of the inflammable material.

25. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the analyzing instrument is an infrared spectrophotometer for in-situ analyzing the deposit on the substrate.

26. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the analyzing instrument is a Fourier transform-infrared spectrophotometer, a far-infrared spectrophotometer, a near-infrared spectrophotometer or a Raman spectrophotometer.

27. An analyzing apparatus as defined in claim 16 or 17, wherein the support and the substrate are arranged to oppose each other in such a fashion that the evaporation gas from the sample of the inflammable material on the support exclusively moves towards the deposition surface of the inspected substrate, both of them are encompassed by a casing defining a circular or a circular and conical combustion chamber and the upper end of the casing has an open portion for exhausting an evaporation gas.