Desorption characteristics of four polyimide sorbent materials using supercritical carbon dioxide and thermal methods

/sup 14/C-Labeled 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobiphenyl, anthracene, and parathion were used to study the desorption of four polyimide-based sorbent materials using both supercritical carbon dioxide and thermal methods. Supercritical fluid desorption was found to be superior to thermal desorption. Both types of desorption were more difficult from the polyimides than from Tenax-GC used in previous work. This work helps to define the applicability of supercritical desorption of polyimides. The identities of the compounds desorbed with supercritical CO/sub 2/ were verified by using thin-layer chromatography and mass spectrometry. Results were compared to those from Tenax-GC studies.