Abstract
A technique combining pyrolysis and chromatography for the detection of vehicle tire abrasion products in roadway dust is described. Samples of elastomers used in tire formulations were volatilized and separated by gas-liquid chromatography to provide characteristic chromatograms. These identifying patterns appeared consistently in the chromatographic separations of the pyrolyzates of compounded tire rubber and various roadway dusts. To confirm the technique, two chromatographic procedures were used for the identification of specific components of the thermal degradation products of raw elastomers, compounded rubbers, and roadway dusts.
