Thermal Decomposition Laboratory
The Wayne A. Rubey Thermal Decomposition Laboratory houses custom-built high-temperature thermal instrumentation systems that determine the thermal decomposition properties of organic substances and materials. This laboratory has been the center of EPA and NSF-sponsored research related to the incineration of hazardous wastes for more than 30 years.
To learn more about thermal decomposition studies at UDRI, please contact Phil Taylor, Rich Striebich, John Graham, or Tak Yamada.
UDRI's system for thermal diagnostic studies (STDS).
The laboratory is currently equipped with two instrumentation systems: the Advanced Thermal Photolytic Reactor System (ATPRS) and the System for Thermal Diagnostic Studies (STDS) (shown above).
The STDS is used to determine the thermal stability of materials and to identify and quantify thermal reaction products. The STDS has a modular design and can employ a variety of intricate, custom-designed test-cell assemblies to conduct a broad range of experiments and physical simulations. Gas-phase and gas-solid chemical kinetic studies are routinely conducted with this system.
The ATPRS consists of a reactor assembly and in-line analytical systems connected via a cryogenic interface. This system is unique in that the design allows optical access to the reactor so that photochemical reactions may be studied at high temperatures in addition to conventional thermal decomposition. The ATPRS is shown below.
The advanced thermal/photolytic reactor system (ATPRS).
The analytical system used on both the ATPRS and the STDS is a Hewlett Packard 5890A/5970B GC/MS/FID. The gas chromatograph (GC) oven can be fitted with dual columns for simultaneous mass spectrometry (MS) and flame ionization detection (FID) analysis of the reaction products.
This laboratory is also equipped with a Saturn 2000 Ion Trap GC-MS-MS system (below) that is used to perform sub-ppm-level organic analysis. This advanced analysis system has one to two orders-of-magnitude greater sensitivity than our conventional GC-MS systems. A high volume injector is available to perform thermal desorption analyses of solid samples and solid-phase micro-extraction analyses.
The Saturn 2000 Ion Trap GC-MS-MS system.
In order to completely characterize the components of a complex mixture, we have developed a multidimensional gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (MDGC-MS) system (below). This system is capable of performing complete separation of the most complex mixtures.
Pegasus Gas Chromatography - Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer