What is Pyrolysis and how do Pyrolyzers work?

Pyrolysis-GC/MS is one of our favorite techniques. The number of companies and organizations that rely on the Frontier pyrolyzer to power their material characterization capabilities is growing exponentially. If you are new to the technique or to the Frontier pyrolyzer instrument, there’s a ton of great resources to help you along your educational path.

So, with that, let’s get started!

First, what exactly is Pyrolysis?

Pyrolysis is a common method of GC/MS sample preparation. The instruments are referred to as pyrolyzers. Conceptually, pyrolysis is a simple process. Apply sufficient heat to a complex chemical species until organic bonds begin to break into smaller, stable molecules. These are commonly referred to as pyrolyzates. The gas chromatographic separation of the pyrolyzates is called a pyrogram. The pyrolyzates formed and their relative intensities provide insight into the nature of the original material.

Easy enough right?

It’s important to remember that while data quality is a function of the entire GC system, it is the design of the pyrolyzer that has the greatest impact on the data quality.

There are three important factors to pyrolysis:

1. The sample must be “heated” instantaneously. Frontier pyrolyzers use a vertical micro-furnace. The sample goes from ambient to the furnace temperature in less than 20 milliseconds. The near instantaneous increase in temperature does two things. It eliminates changes in the sample as it is heated, and provides a high level of reproducibility.
2. The sample path must be inert and at a uniform temperature. The Frontier multi-functional pyrolyzer has no transfer line. The furnace is just a few centimeters away from the split/splitless injection port. The “interface” is the needle going into the splitter. This eliminates the contamination and thermal gradients associated with conventional transfer lines.
3. The sample must be at ambient temperature. The Frontier pyrolyzer instrument physically removes the sample from the furnace and holds it at ambient temperature (in an inert atmosphere) whenever multiple analyses of a single sample are being done. (As with double-shot or heart-cutting). This maintains sample integrity and contributes to both the accuracy and precision of the data.

Here is a short video that explains how the vertical micro-furnace pyrolyzer performs pyrolysis:

What industries use pyrolysis?

Wondering what industries have been quick to catch on to the power of Pyrolysis-GC/MS? Here is a short list of the industries and applications we actively work with:

• Academia & Research Institutions
• Government Crime / Forensics Labs
• Art Galleries & Museums
• Contract Testing Laboratories
• Chemical Manufacturers
• Semiconductors
• Batteries
• Oil & Gas Companies
• Defense & Military
• Polymers & Plastics Manufacturers
• Coatings & Paint Manufacturers

Additional Resources:

Product Information

Frontier EGA/PY-3030D Multi-Shot Pyrolyzer

Frontier PY-3030S Single-Shot Pyrolyzer

Industry-Specific Resources

Advanced Coatings and Deformulation with Pyrolysis-GC/MS [Webinar]

Microplastics Analysis in Environmental Samples Using Pyrolysis-GC/MS [Webinar]

Characterizing Shale Rock with Thermal Extraction-GC/MS [Webinar]

Using Pyrolysis-GC/MS in 3D Printing, Smart Coatings, and Nanomaterials [Webinar]

5 Secrets of Detailed Polymer Characterization and Deformulation [Webinar]

An Expert System for Interpreting Pyrolysis-GC/MS Data for Synthetic Paint Media [Webinar]

Deformulation and Failure Analysis of Polymers Using Pyrolysis-GC/MS [Webinar]

Identifying and Quantification of Microplastics using Micro-Furnace Pyrolysis-GC/MS [Webinar]

Reverse Engineering of Polymer Materials and Coatings by GC/MS [Webinar]

Technique-Based Resources

Simplifying Pyrolysis for the Modern User [Webinar]

Multi-Shot Pyrolysis: Superior Technology for Serious Science [Webinar]

Rapid Catalyst Screening Using Tandem Micro-Reactor-GC/MS System [Webinar]