Analysis of EO and 1,4-Dioxane in surfactants using GCMS with the HydroInert source that improves sustainability via carrier gas, efficient analysis and low quantification of targets

In the ethoxylation process there is a possibility for the formation of biproducts or residual raw materials in the final surfactant product. Some of these biproducts/raw materials include ethylene oxide (EO) and 1,4-Dioxane. It has become increasingly important to develop an analytical method that can accurately quantify these targets at low concentrations as manufacturers have made great strides in reducing these biproducts and as regulatory bodies become more focused on 1,4-Dioxane and EO. In this study, a method capable of detecting EO and 1,4-Dioxane with an LOQ of 40ppb was successfully established via the utilization of a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) and Headspace (HS) with a HydroInert source for Hydrogen carrier gas.

The HydroInert source is crucial in sustainability efforts to replace Helium with Hydrogen while not substituting for sensitivity and linearity. The HydroInert source also removes the problem of chemical reactions often found with hydrogen in the mass spectrometer. This study, therefore, establishes a novel analytical method that accurately and simultaneously determines both EO and 1,4-dioxane at low concentration levels required by new regulations in consumer products, and these results will be discussed in further details.