Thermal Extraction of Phthalates in Polymers based on IEC Method 62321-8 using a Pyroprobe

Phthalate calibration, reproducibility and MDL studies using an IEC standard method

By Karen Sam

Certain phthalate additives are known to be harmful to humans, resulting in regulations regarding their use. With growing environmental awareness and perceptions, the use of phthalates has been restricted in many countries, including the European Union and the United States of America.  As a result, a few international standards and conformity assessment bodies such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), have published standards for determining certain phthalates in polymeric materials. The recent IEC Method 62321-8 defines approaches to determine di-isobutyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP) in electronics using GC-MS and TD-GC-MS.