Analysis of Additive Distributions in Rigid PVC by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Chemical Engineering, FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, 48565 Steinfurt, Germany
- 2VEKA AG, 48324 Sendenhorst, Germany
- 3Gealan Fenster-Systeme GmbH, 95145 Oberkotzau, Germany
- 4Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Clausthal University of Technology, 38678 Clausthal, Germany
Abstract
Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) enables direct, spatially resolved analysis of inorganic additives and impurities in rigid PVC, which is widely used in window profiles with demanding lifetime and recycling requirements. This study develops and validates a matrix-adapted LA-ICP-MS protocol for depth-resolved profiling of key additive elements (Ca, Mg, Al, Ti, Zn) and trace Fe in PVC window profiles and laboratory specimens. Laser fluence was optimized, and instrumental precision, positional variability, and ablation depth increments were quantified to ensure reproducible profiles over the first ~25 µm. Subsequently, the method was applied to pressed sheets, extruded belts, and window profiles. The last included samples produced under varying calibration vacuum and those subjected to xenon arc UV/water exposure. Extruded profiles exhibited denser, Zn- and TiO2-enriched, Fe-contaminated skin layers compared with laboratory specimens, while increasing calibration vacuum enhanced near-surface enrichment of several elements. Artificial weathering led to pronounced depth-resolved depletion of Ca, Mg, and Zn in the near-surface region, consistent with stabilizer consumption and leaching of soluble chlorides, whereas Al and Ti remained essentially constant. These results demonstrate that processing strongly shapes near-surface additive and impurity distribution in PVC profiles and that LA-ICP-MS provides a powerful tool to link depth-resolved inorganic composition to aging mechanisms and to assess the transferability of laboratory weathering results to real window profiles.
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BibTeX
@article{kerkeling2026analysis,
title = {{Analysis of Additive Distributions in Rigid PVC by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry}},
author = {Saskia Kerkeling and Martin Kreyenschmidt and Christian Gieler and Matthias Kaltefleiter-Jürgens and Michel Sieffert and Ursula E. A. Fittschen},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18212626},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2626},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Analysis of Additive Distributions in Rigid PVC by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
AU - Saskia Kerkeling
AU - Martin Kreyenschmidt
AU - Christian Gieler
AU - Matthias Kaltefleiter-Jürgens
AU - Michel Sieffert
AU - Ursula E. A. Fittschen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18212626
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/21/2626
AB - Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) enables direct, spatially resolved analysis of inorganic additives and impurities in rigid PVC, which is widely used in window profiles with demanding lifetime and recycling requirements. This study develops and validates a matrix-adapted LA-ICP-MS protocol for depth-resolved profiling of key additive elements (Ca, Mg, Al, Ti, Zn) and trace Fe in PVC window profiles and laboratory specimens. Laser fluence was optimized, and instrumental precision, positional variability, and ablation depth increments were quantified to ensure reproducible profiles over the first ~25 µm. Subsequently, the method was applied to pressed sheets, extruded belts, and window profiles. The last included samples produced under varying calibration vacuum and those subjected to xenon arc UV/water exposure. Extruded profiles exhibited denser, Zn- and TiO2-enriched, Fe-contaminated skin layers compared with laboratory specimens, while increasing calibration vacuum enhanced near-surface enrichment of several elements. Artificial weathering led to pronounced depth-resolved depletion of Ca, Mg, and Zn in the near-surface region, consistent with stabilizer consumption and leaching of soluble chlorides, whereas Al and Ti remained essentially constant. These results demonstrate that processing strongly shapes near-surface additive and impurity distribution in PVC profiles and that LA-ICP-MS provides a powerful tool to link depth-resolved inorganic composition to aging mechanisms and to assess the transferability of laboratory weathering results to real window profiles.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -