High-throughput residual solvent and residual monomer analysis

An exciting new article from the Anatune – Syft partnership has appeared in Chromatography Today. It describes how automated Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) substantially increases sample throughput of residual solvent and residual monomer analysis in packaging and polymers.

Because many food and pharmaceutical products are packaged in some form of polymer-based material, residual monomers in packaging can interact with the drug formulations in pharmaceutical products or affect the aroma or safety of food products. SIFT-MS is ideally suited to residual monomer analysis, because these compounds tend to be volatile and are readily released into the packaging headspace.

The figure illustrates rapid determination of trace monomer impurities in packaging using SIFT-MS. For illustrative purposes, all samples were analyzed for all compounds in one scan, with a throughput of 60 seconds per sample.

Rapid analysis of monomers present in the headspace of polystyrene (PS), polyoxymethylene (POM) and polyethylene (PET) polymers used for packaging.