TY - JOUR A1 - Scholz, Philipp A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Elert, Anna Maria A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Hoffmann, Katrin A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Tschiche, Harald A1 - Reinsch, Stefan A1 - Weidner, Steffen ED - Scholz, Philipp T1 - Analytical toolset to characterize polyurethanes after exposure to artificial weathering under systematically varied moisture conditions N2 - Polyether and -ester urethanes (PU) were exposed to artificial weathering at 40 °C and artificial UV radiation in a weathering chamber. In 3 parallel exposures, humidity was varied between dry, humid, and wet conditions. Material alteration was investigated by various analytical techniques like size exclusion chromatography (SEC), liquid chromatography-infrared spectroscopy (LC-FTIR), thermal-desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS), fluorescence mapping and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Our results show that depending on the weathering conditions, different degradation effects can be observed. By means of SEC an initial strong decrease of the molar masses and a broadening of the mass distributions was found. After a material dependent time span this was followed by a plateau where molar mass changes were less significant. A minor moisture-dependent degradation effect was only found for polyester PU. Fluorescence measurements on two materials revealed an increase in the luminescence intensity upon weathering process reaching a saturation level after about 500 h. The changes in the optical properties observed after different exposure conditions and times were very similar. The TD-GC-MS data showed the fate of the stabilizers and antioxidant in the course of weathering. LC-FTIR measurements revealed a change in peak intensities and the ratio of urethane and carbonyl bands. KW - Polyurethane KW - Artificial weathering KW - Moisture KW - Crosslinking KW - Degradation PY - 2019 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142941819303708 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2019.105996 SN - 0142-9418 VL - 78 SP - 105996, 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-48625 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lisec, Jan A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Vogel, Kristin A1 - Koch, Matthias A1 - Becker, Roland T1 - eCerto—versatile software for interlaboratory data evaluation and documentation during reference material production N2 - The statistical tool eCerto was developed for the evaluation of measurement data to assign property values and associated uncertainties of reference materials. The analysis is based on collaborative studies of expert laboratories and was implemented using the R software environment. Emphasis was put on comparability of eCerto with SoftCRM, a statistical tool based on the certification strategy of the former Community Bureau of Reference. Additionally, special attention was directed towards easy usability from data collection through processing, archiving, and reporting. While the effects of outlier removal can be flexibly explored, eCerto always retains the original data set and any manipulation such as outlier removal is (graphically and tabularly) documented adequately in the report. As a major reference materials producer, the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) developed and will maintain a tool to meet the needs of modern data processing, documentation requirements, and emerging fields of RM activity. The main features of eCerto are discussed using previously certified reference materials. KW - Reference material KW - Statistics KW - Software KW - Collaborative trial PY - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-591851 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-59185 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Sommerfeld, Thomas A1 - Braun, Ulrike T1 - Quantification of microplastics in a freshwater suspended organic matter using different thermoanalytical methods – outcome of an interlaboratory comparison N2 - A sedimented freshwater suspended organic matter fortified with particles of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was employed in an interlaboratory comparison of thermoanalytical methods for microplastics identification and quantification. Three laboratories performed pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), three others provided results using thermal extraction desorption followed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (TED-GC-MS). One participant performed thermogravimetry-infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR) and two participants used thermogravimetry coupled to mass spectrometry (TGA-MS). Further participants used differential scanning microscopy (DSC), a procedure based on micro combustion calorimetry (MCC) and a procedure based on elemental analysis. Each participant employed a different combination of sample treatment, calibration and instrumental Settings for polymer identification and quantification. Though there is obviously room for improvements regarding the between-laboratory reproducibility and the harmonization of procedures it was seen that the participants Performing Py-GC-MS, TED-GC-MS, and TGA-FTIR were able to correctly identify all polymers and to report reasonable quantification results in the investigated concentration range (PE: 20.0 μg/mg, PP: 5.70 μg/mg; PS: 2.20 μg/mg, PET: 18.0 μg/mg). Although for the other methods limitations exists regarding the detection of specific polymers, they showed potential as alternative approaches for polymer quantification in solid environmental matrices. KW - Interlaboratory comparison KW - Microplastics KW - Suspended organic matter KW - Pyrolysis PY - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaap.2020.104829 VL - 148 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-50977 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Braun, Ulrike T1 - Querschnittsthema Referenzmaterialien: Planung Ringversuche N2 - Nach einer Erläuterung der international üblichen Definitionen von Referenzmaterialien und Matrix-Referenzmaterialien erfolgt eine Zusammenfassung der spezifischen Anforderungen bei Herstellung und Charakterisierung. Weiterhin werden die unterschiedlichen Anforderungen an die Durchführung von Ringversuchen im Sinne eines Methodenvergleiches, einer Eignungsprüfung von Laboratorien und der Zertifizierung von Matrix-Referenzmaterialien gegenübergestellt. Für den aktuell geplanten ersten Ringversuch zur Quantifizierung von Mikroplastik in Schwebstoffen mittels thermischer Verfahren werden die konkreten technischen Bedingungen zur Herstellung entsprechender Referenzmaterialien einschließlich der Homogenitätsprüfung ihrer Mikroplastikgehalte dargestellt. Die Besonderheiten des Ringversuches vor dem Hintergrund einer Normung der eingesetzten Verfahren werden diskutiert. T2 - Forschungsschwerpunkt „Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze“: 2. Workshop des Querschnittsthemas „Analytik und Referenzmaterialien“ CY - Augsburg, Germany DA - 4.7.2018 KW - Mikroplastik KW - Referenzmaterialien KW - Ringversuche KW - Thermische Verfahren KW - Schwebstoffe KW - Methodenvergleich PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-45681 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Braun, Ulrike T1 - Reference materials for microplastics in environmental matrices N2 - The pollution of marine, limnic and terrestrial environments with plastic waste and the potential impact especially on biota and humans has received increasing attention in recent years. Special focus is on particles smaller than 5 mm, the so-called microplastics. Consequently, possible regulations of emission and remediation efforts require sound information on the occurrence and fate of microplastics in the respective environmental compartments. Microplastics (MP) differ from classical organic pollutants in biota or the environment in that they do not consist of clearly defined low-molecular weight compounds but of polymer particulates with varying sizes and chemical compositions. This leads to specific challenges regarding the analytical techniques to be employed for their identification and quantification. Microplastics are defined as polymer particle in the size range between 1 µm and 5 mm and cover a wide range of polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate in variable geometric shapes. Properties relevant for environmental microplastics are polymer type, particle form and size distribution, surface morphology (aging status) and total mass fraction contained in a given sample. Polymer identification and particle size estimation using optical methods (IR and Raman spectroscopy) are time consuming and complicated by surface characteristics as a result of weathering, soiling, and microbial colonisation. Total mass fractions of MP in environmental samples can be determined by thermo-analytical methods. There are currently no standardised methods for sampling, sampling preparation, or detection of MP in environmental samples. So far, qualitative and quantitative investigations are done by research institutes and have not reached the routine laboratory community. The near future will see harmonisation efforts of MP mass fraction determination in environmental matrices by thermo-analytical procedures. The immediate need for reference materials during method development and comparison is outlined with regard to relevant matrix/polymer compositions, existing regulations and currently achievable detection limits. Examples for solid environmental matrix reference materials are discussed regarding the challenges encountered with matrices and polymer types as well as homogeneity testing and property value characterisation. T2 - BERM 2018 15th International Symposium on Biological and Environmental Reference Materials CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 23 September 2018 KW - Referenzmaterialien KW - Schwebstoffe KW - Sediment KW - Polymer PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-46209 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Becker, Roland A1 - Scholz, Philipp A1 - Jung, Christian A1 - Weidner, Steffen T1 - Thermo-Desorption Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for investigating the thermal degradation of polyurethanes N2 - Thermo-Desorption Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) was used to investigate the thermal degradation of two different polyurethanes (PU). PU samples were heated at different heating rates and the desorbed products were collected in a cold injection system and thereafter submitted to GC-MS. Prospects and limitations of the detection and quantification of semi-volatile degradation products were investigated. A temperature dependent PU depolymerization was found at temperatures above 200 °C proved by an increasing release of 1,4-butanediol and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) representing the main building blocks of both polymers. Their release was monitored quantitatively based on external calibration with authentic compounds. Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) of the residues obtained after thermodesorption confirmed the initial competitive degradation mechanism indicating an equilibrium of crosslinking and depolymerization as previously suggested. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry of SEC fractions of thermally degraded PUs provided additional hints on degradation mechanism. KW - Thermo-desorption KW - Mass spectrometry KW - Polyurethanes KW - Thermal degradation PY - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3AY00173C SN - 1759-9660 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - Royal Society for Chemistry AN - OPUS4-57307 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -