Abstract
An internal standard is essential in quantitative analysis to enhance the accuracy and precision. In the analysis of tire wear particles in environmental samples, a pyrolysis technique such as pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is commonly employed to quantify rubber components. Deuterated polymers such as deuterated polyisoprene are usually used as internal standards. However, their high cost necessitates the search for alternative standards. In this study, we propose poly(4-methylstyrene) (PMS) as a viable new internal standard. We compare calibration curves constructed using the peak areas of the pyrolysis products from natural rubber with those corrected using the pyrolysis products of PMS. The main pyrolysis products of PMS include 4-methylsyrene, 1,3-bis(4-methylphenyl) propane, 2,4-bis(4-methylphenyl) butene, and 2,4-bis(4-methylphenyl) penta-1,4-diene. The use of the dimeric pyrolysis products of PMS as the internal standard results in an improved correlation coefficient of R2 > 0.990.
Keywords: tire wear particle;pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry;quantification;internal standard;poly(4-methylstyrene)