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J Occup Environ Hyg

Title:		Identifying thermal breakdown products of thermoplastics
Author(s):		Guillemot M; Oury B; Melin S;
Address:		"a Pollutant Metrology Department , INRS , Vandoeuvre , France"
Journal Title:		J Occup Environ Hyg
Year:		2017
Volume:		14
Issue:		7
Page Number:		551 - 561
DOI:		10.1080/15459624.2017.1302586
ISSN/ISBN:		1545-9632 (Electronic) 1545-9624 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Polymers processed to produce plastic articles are subjected to temperatures between 150 degrees C and 450 degrees C or more during overheated processing and breakdowns. Heat-based processing of this nature can lead to emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the thermoplastic processing shop. In this study, laboratory experiments, qualitative and quantitative emissions measurement in thermoplastic factories were carried out. The first step was to identify the compounds released depending on the thermoplastic nature, the temperature and the type of process. Then a thermal degradation protocol that can extrapolate the laboratory results to industry scenarios was developed. The influence of three parameters on released thermal breakdown products was studied: the sample preparation methods-manual cutting, ambient, or cold grinding-the heating rate during thermal degradation-5, 10 20, and 50 degrees C/min-and the decomposition method-thermogravimetric analysis and pyrolysis. Laboratory results were compared to atmospheric measurements taken at 13 companies to validate the protocol and thereby ensure its representativeness of industrial thermal processing. This protocol was applied to most commonly used thermoplastics to determine their thermal breakdown products and their thermal behaviour. Emissions data collected by personal exposure monitoring and sampling at the process emission area show airborne concentrations of detected compounds to be in the range of 0-3 mg/m(3) under normal operating conditions. Laser cutting or purging operations generate higher pollution levels in particular formaldehyde which was found in some cases at a concentration above the workplace exposure limit"
Keywords:		"Air Pollutants, Occupational/*analysis Formaldehyde/analysis *Hot Temperature Humans Occupational Exposure/analysis Plastics/*chemistry Volatile Organic Compounds/*analysis Analytical protocol contaminant in plastic molding shops plastic thermal degradati;"
Notes:		"MedlineGuillemot, Marianne Oury, Benoit Melin, Sandrine eng England 2017/04/21 J Occup Environ Hyg. 2017 Jul; 14(7):551-561. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2017.1302586"