Integrated circuit (IC) boards are ubiquitous in many of the products we utilize on a daily basis. The boards contain chips, resistors, capacitors, diodes, and other devices which make up the circuitry. These devices generate heat, and the materials used to construct the IC boards must withstand high temperatures. Some of the materials contain additives for fire prevention or have fire-retardant compounds incorporated into the polymer backbone.
For IC chips, epoxy molded compounds (EMC) are commonly used, as they are chemical resistant, absorb little moisture, and can withstand high temperatures. Polymers widely used for EMCs include phenolic epoxy resins, phenol/formaldehyde polymers (Novolacs), bismaleimides, and multiaromatic resins. These polymers also contain accelerators, fillers, curing agents, and antioxidants.
With the exponential growth of consumer devices, such as VR headsets, the close proximity of IC materials to the consumer produces the need to look at off-gassing from these materials as a possible route of exposure. Also, the thermal treatment of electronic waste has become a popular method of recycling it. Lastly, if a device does catch fire, it is important to know what type of compounds are given off during combustion. Pyrolysis GC-MS is a valuable tool for identifying polymers and their breakdown products. Pyrolysis is also helpful for identifying additives for polymers. In this study, the GERSTEL pyrolysis system, combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, was used to analyze compounds from an IC board.