Production of gaseous matrix-free reference materials: Application of thermoanalytical techniques

Reference materials are used in every laboratory in order to assure the appropriate quality of analytical results. The production of reference materials is not an easy task especially in the case of gaseous, toxic and malodorous compounds. Thermal decomposition of immobilized compounds is a convenient way for the generation of those kinds of mixtures. Temperature is an important variable in this process. In this case, thermoanalytical techniques (thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC)) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for checking the temperature range which had been previously determined using thermal desorber-gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector (TD-GC-FID) system.