Pyrolysis Applications in Forensic Labs

The following examples represent the analysis of typical forensic materials, including tapes and rubbers, representing polymers and copolymers such as polyolefins, and acrylics. Also included is the identification of additives, like plasticizers and antioxidants, all of which help differentiate and identify such multi-component materials. GC/MS can provide a wealth of information about complex chemical systems, but the components usually must be volatile to be compatible with the technique. Analytical pyrolysis expands the scope of GC/MS analysis by creating volatile compounds producing chromatograms, representing the various constituents of the evidence, and require only microgram sized samples, thus saving valuable evidence.