ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this chapter is to present the power of gas chromatography (GC) for the analysis of plastic materials-its simplicity, speed, and broad range of applicability. Generally speaking, plastic materials are mixtures of macromolecules (polymers) and smaller chemical entities (normally in minor concentrations), such as residual monomers, residual solvents, and additives. In the materials which we call plastics there is actually a wide variety of molecules, ranging from low-molecular-weight (relatively highvolatility) monomers and solvents to medium-molecular weight (mediumvolatility) additives, to the very-high-molecular-weight (nonvolatile) polymers themselves. Each of these components plays a special role in the plastic material. Accurate information about the chemical composition plays a crucial role in predicting and controlling the physical as well as chemical properties of plastic materials. These properties in turn determine the processing behavior, mechanical properties, and end-use performance of the plastics materials.
