Meaning
High resolution analytical instruments separate complex liquid mixtures and measure the time of flight of ions to determine exact molecular formulas. The use of lc q tof ms is standard in the testing of polymer additives and the identification of unknown leachables in medical grade plastics. It combines the separation power of liquid chromatography with the mass accuracy of a time of flight detector.
Accurate Mass
Measurement of an ion’s weight to four or five decimal places allows the chemist to distinguish between molecules that have the same nominal mass. For example, a compound containing nitrogen can be differentiated from one containing only carbon and oxygen. This precision reduces the number of possible chemical structures for an unknown peak.
Additive Screening
Databases of known plastic stabilizers and lubricants are compared against the test results to quickly identify common ingredients. This automated process speeds up the characterisation of raw materials from new suppliers. It can also detect the presence of banned substances or impurities in recycled resins.
Compound Discovery
Novel degradation products are identified by analyzing the fragmentation patterns produced by the collision cell. This capability is essential for understanding how a polymer behaves under extreme processing temperatures.
