Laser pyrolysis micro-spectroscopy for modelling fire-induced degradation of ethylene-vinyl acetate systems

A recently developed laser pyrolysis (LP)-Raman/ATR micro-spectroscopic method was applied for analyzing the degradation of polymer systems. The concept behind the method is to combine the micro-scale modelling of fire circumstances with analytical monitoring of the chemical changes in the solid phase of the sample. Samples were irradiated with the infrared beam of a CO2 laser. The chemical changes were determined by micro-Raman/ATR spectroscopy methods in 200 ms intervals. The applicability of the method is demonstrated here through the pyrolysis of EVA and EVA composites containing metal-modified clays. Rapid depth profiling of few milligrams of sample is feasible with Raman detection, while the ATR sensor is applicable for analysis of fluorescent samples such as Fe coated sepiolite. The acceleration effect of montmorillonite and sepiolite minerals on the degradation of EVA is more pronounced if their surface is coated with Fe atoms. The effects of laser and the cone heater on the ratio of characteristic Raman bands of the polymer are compared and found to be in good correlation.