OREANDA-NEWS. Fujitsu Laboratories Limited, Fujitsu Limited, and Fujitsu Quality Laboratory Limited jointly announced the development of a method that can identify the presence of phthalate esters, such as bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which are considered toxic in polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This new method can distinguish such phthalate esters with more than ten times the sensitivity of previous methods.

In the past, high-precision measuring of phthalate content has required expensive analytic equipment and specialized training. While relatively simple and inexpensive measurement methods are known, their sensitivity is poor. With the new method developed by Fujitsu, called the "vapor collection method," a sample is heated, and the resultant phthalate vapor is collected on a PVC film, enabling the identification of the presence of phthalate esters with ten times the sensitivity of previous methods.

This method can be employed on the front lines of a factory's acceptance testing operations using inexpensive and easy-to-operate equipment to identify the presence of phthalate esters in products such as cable housings in less than ten minutes with a high degree of sensitivity, thereby contributing to the provision of safer products.

Details of this technology are being presented at the 60th Spring Meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, being held March 27–30 in Atsugi City.