Mass Spectrometry Sample Preparation for Nylon 6,6 Analysis

A new technical note from BioChromato compares Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) and Thermal Desorption (DART) as sample preparation methods for Mass Spectrometry analysis of Nylon 6,6.

Synthesised by polycondensation of hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid, Nylon 6,6 is a polyamide or nylon that is commonly used in the textile and plastic industries. Nylon 6,6 is a polymer of choice when high mechanical strength, rigidity, good stability under heat and/or chemical resistance are required. In the technical note the authors compare ionRocket-DART®-MS to EGA-MS for analysis of Nylon 6,6 samples.

Evolved Gas Analysis has traditionally been used as a mass spectrometry sample preparation technique for polymers, plastics, and fibres. However, analysis by EGA-MS generates fragment ions and requires a database to confirm the identity of the mass fragments.

By comparison, the authors demonstrate how using ionRocket-DART/MS you can observe the parent ion without fragment ions because DART is a soft ionisation technique. Consequently, ionRocket-DART/MS can provide qualitative analysis even if customers cannot find an objective mass fragment within their EGA/MS database.

The ionRocket is a temperature-heating device for direct thermal desorption and pyrolysis of samples, prior to ionisation and analysis by mass spectrometry. Using ionRocket a temperature gradient from ambient up to 600ºC can be achieved in just a few minutes. This enables polymers, plastics, and fibres to be pyrolysed and then introduced into the DART®-MS gas stream.

Read this application report in full.

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