(582cn) A User-Friendly Set up for Undergraduate Research: Combining Thermogravimetric Analysis with Micro Gas Chromatography

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is a common, easy to use analytical tool to provide data on solid/gas reactions or to characterize materials such as catalysts or polymers. Because the technique provides limited information on the perceived weight change, the coupling of thermogravimetric analysis with mass spectrometry (MS) for gas evolution data is becoming more common. In this study, we couple the TA Q600 TGA with the INFICON Fusion micro gas chromatograph (Micro GC) to conduct several standard catalyst characterization tests (temperature programmed oxidation/reduction/desorption) and to investigate several gas/solid reactions. We looked at reactions where expected products were light gases and were therefore able to use GC cycle times less than 90 seconds; getting a resolution of gas composition data that could be correlated with the TGA signal. During temperature programmed reduction of several common catalysts were able to correlate weight loss on the TGA with water production and hydrogen consumption on the GC. Additional data was collected for CO₂ methanation, biomass oxidation (with O₂ or CO₂) reactions demonstrating the usefulness of the coupling of these instruments. Compared to coupling a TGA-MS, this Micro GC approach allows for easier quantification of gas species, is less expensive, and use-friendly enough for undergraduate research.