columns exhibit excellent selectivity for closely relat-
ed alcohols, such as ethanol, isopropanol,
tert
-
butanol, and
n
-butanol. AnRtx
®
-VMS column is
compatiblewith higher initial oven temperatures—
note the 60°C starting temperature in Figure 1—
allowing greater sample throughput due to faster
oven stabilization time. Analyses of typical consumer
cleaning products, an all-purpose cleaner and a
glass cleaner, are shown in Figure 2.
Summary
AnRtx
®
-VMS capillary columnmakes these analyses
faster, with highly reliable results, and is an excellent
choice for this application.
• 3 •
2003
Volume 2
800-356-1688
Efficient AnalysisofWater-Miscible
Solvents inCleaningProducts
Using an Rtx
®
-VMSCapillary GCColumn
By RebeccaWittrig, Ph.D., Senior Innovations Chemist
✔
Higher initial oven temperatures allow greater sample throughput.
✔
Excellent selectivity for resolving closely-related alcohols and other solvents.
✔
Consistent column-to-column performance for quality control analyses.
Consumers use awide range of products to promote
personal hygiene, improve personal appearance, and
reduce levels of microorganisms in the home envi-
ronment. Their choicesmake the cleaning and per-
sonal care products industry amulti-billion dollar
industry.
1
The Soap andDetergent Association
(SDA)
2
groups soaps and detergents into four gener-
al categories: personal cleansing, laundry, dishwash-
ing, and household cleansing. As with all other con-
sumer products, there is a need to test both raw
materials and final products in each of these cate-
gories. Composition and quality control analyses for
many of these products can be performed by gas or
liquid chromatography. For example, volatile com-
ponents, such as alcohols, can bemonitored by
using anRtx
®
-VMS capillary GC column.
Various ingredients are needed in cleaning and per-
sonal care products, to solubilize soils, wet surfaces,
References
1. Branna, T.
The I&I Market. Happi,
Nov. 2000.
2. The Soap andDetergent Association. Website:
Coming soon!
New technical guide:
Analyzing Cleaning
and Personal Care
Products by Gas and
Liquid Chromatography
mask odors, provide color, or perform other func-
tions. Solvents are included in these products prima-
rily to dissolve organic soils. Aside from safety con-
siderations, themain criterion for a solvent used in
cleaning products ismiscibility withwater, as the
solvent must form a solutionwith other water-solu-
ble components. Solvents that meet the criteria for
use in consumer cleaning products include alcohols
and glycols. In addition towatermiscibility, these
solvents cleanwithout leaving residue, making them
especially useful in products designed for cleaning
environmental surfaces, such as glass cleaners.
Water-soluble solvents in cleaning products are ana-
lyzed by gas chromatography to ensure product
quality and to further new product development. A
60m x 0.25mm ID x 1.4µm filmRtx
®
-VMS capillary
GC column is an excellent choice for analyzing a
wide range of cleaning solvents (Figure 1). These
GC_FF00647
Figure 2
—Use anRtx
®
-VMS column to
quantify awide range of cleaning solvents.
Rtx
®
-VMS, 60m, 0.25mm ID, 1.4µm (cat.# 19916)
Sample:
Approx. 5% sample inmethanol
Inj.:
1.0µL split (split ratio 100:1),
4mm inlet liner (cat.# 20814)
Inj. temp.:
250°C
Carrier gas:
hydrogen, constant flow
Flow rate:
1.5mL/min.
Oven temp.:
60°C (1min. hold) to 138°C@ 4°C/min., to
145°C@ 2°C/min., to 210°C@ 15°C/min.,
to 230°C@ 5°C/min.
Det.:
FID@ 250°C
Cleaning Solvents
Rtx
®
-VMS, 60m, 0.25mm ID, 1.4µm (cat.# 19916)
Sample:
1% each solvent inmethanol
Inj.:
1.0µL split (split ratio 100:1), 4mm inlet liner
(cat.# 20814)
Inj. temp.:
250°C
Carrier gas:
hydrogen, constant flow
Flow rate:
1.5mL/min.
Oven temp.:
60°C (1min. hold) to 138°C@ 4°C/min.,
to 145°C@ 2°C/min., to 210°C@ 15°C/min.,
to 230°C@ 5°C/min.
Det.:
FID@ 250°C
1. methanol
2. ethanol
3.
iso
-propanol
4.
tert
-butanol
5.
n
-propanol
6.
iso
-butanol
7. methyl Cellosolve
®
8.
n
-butanol
9. Cellosolve
®
10. ethylene glycol
11. butyl Cellosolve
®
12. limonene
13. dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether (DPGMME)
14. diethylene glycol ethyl ether (DEGEE)
15. phenyl Cellosolve
®
16. tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether (TPGMME)
Glass Cleaner
GC_FF00645
Figure 1
—Commonly used cleaning solvents on anRtx
®
-VMS column. Unique
selectivity allows a 60°C starting temperature, for fast sample throughput.
All-purpose cleaner
1. butyl Cellosolve
®
2. limonene
GC_FF00646
1.
iso
-propanol
2. butyl Cellosolve
®
Ordering Information
|
Rtx
®
-VMSColumns
Rtx
®
-VMS columns are listed on page 4.
