The Development of Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography

I. INTRODUCTION

Pyrolysis gas chromatography (PGC) is an indirect method of investigation in which the sample is pyrolyzed, the resulting volatile products are analyzed by gas chromatógraphy (GC), and the substance under investigation is characterized on the basis of GC of the volatile products of its pyrolysis. By qualitative and quantitative analysis of the products formed in the pyrolysis of the sample, one can determine the structure and composition of the system under study. Unlike other chemical methods widely used in PGC, pyrolysis is a complex reaction normally proceeding in many directions and involving many stages. Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, the resulting products are adequately representative of the composition and structure of the pyrolyzed samples, which is precisely what makes PGC a valuable method and provides for its development.