Pyrolysis is a thermal decomposition process of organic material at elevated temperatures in an anaerobic environment. It involves the cleavage of large complex molecules into smaller, more analytically useful fragments by the thermal energy.

 

As an analogy, a Mass Spectrometer shatters compounds using electron impact, the compound is fragmented in a reproducible way, the ions are separated by the MS and the result is a spectrum which is both qualitative and quantitative. Pyrolysis works in much the same way. By applying heat to a sample that is comparable to the energy of specific bonds, the molecule will fragment in a reproducible way. The fragments are then separated by the analytical column to produce the chromatogram (pyrogram) which contains both qualitative and quantitative information. The number of peaks, the resolution by capillary GC, and the relative intensities of the peaks permit discrimination among many similar formulations, making pyrolysis a powerful tool in the identification of unknown samples. 

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CDS Analytical released the first commercial analytical pyrolyzer (Model 100) in late 60s for Pyrolysis - Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and has been proudly making world class pyrolyzers for over 50 years. Our products have evolved through 6 generations and represent the industries highest standard.  

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CDS pyrolyzers can be used in universities, forensic labs, labs, government settings, and more for all your polymer research needs. They are also compatible with all major brands of GC/MS including: Agilent, Bruker, Thermo, PerkinElmer, and Shimadzu.