Mass spectroscopy in polymer research

Abstract

Mass spectrometers are currently available in numerous confi gurations with various ionization techniques and mass analyzers. For a specifi c polymer sample, an optimal choice should be done depending on the information sought. In practice, no single mass spectrometric technique can provide all necessary information for structural, compositional, and thermal and oxidative degradation characteristics of polymeric samples. The analyzer used determines the limits of the sensitivity and resolution and the mass range, whereas the type of ionization source specifi es the information that can be gained.