Continuous monitoring of thermooxidative degradation products of polystyrene by membrane extraction with sorbent interface and gas chromatography.

A novel method for the continuous monitoring of thermooxidative degradation products of polystyrene by membrane extraction with sorbent interface (MESI) and gas chromatography (GC) is developed. The results are compared with solid-phase microextraction-GC, which can extract gases, vapors, and aerosols. The volatile and semivolatile degradation products are identified by mass spectrometry.