“Acid” pyrolysis‐capillary chromatographic analysis of anionic and nonionic surfactants

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Abstract

Abstract A tandem “acid” pyrolysis‐capillary chromatographic method for analyzing surfactants has been developed, and its application to the more common anionic and nonionic surfactant types investigated. In this method a surfactant is mixed with an acid, such as P 2 O 5 or H 3 PO 4 , and dropped into a pyrolyzer attached to a capillary gas chromatograph. The resulting volatile pyrolyzate is carried into the chromatograph for analysis. According to the chromatograms, the point of cleavage during “acid” pyrolysis is quite selective, usually at a C‐S or C‐O bond. For example, LAS and ABS give peaks corresponding to the alkylbenzene precursors; primary linear alkyl sulfates and sulfonates, peaks corresponding to olefins with the same number of carbon atoms as the alkyl group; and alcohol and alkylphenol ethoxylates and ethoxylate sulfates, peaks corresponding to olefins from the alkyl group and to acetaldehyde and a higher aldehyde from the polyethoxy group. Alkylphenol derivatives are probably cleaved to form an alkylphenoxy intermediate, which then dealkylates to give the olefins. This method is quantitative for carbon number or carbon number and isomer distribution of hydrophobes in linear surfactants, semiquantitative for ethoxy content and for hydrophobes in branched chain surfactants, and qualitative for hydrotropes and certain foam additives. Surfactants, as well as mixtures of certain surfactant types, in built detergent formulations can be analyzed without isolation.

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