Thermal degradation of polyester coating powders: 1,4-dicyanobenzene as an occupational marker compound.

A method for the determination of emissions in workroom air as a result of the thermal degradation of polyester coating powders is described. The method is based on the determination of certain marker compounds only. Polyester coating powders were degraded thermally in laboratory experiments and 1,4-dicyanobenzene was chosen as the marker compound. An air sampling method and a high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of the marker compound are proposed. The detection limit for a 48-I air sample was 0.4 microgram m-3.