A rapid screening method for evaluating the total migratable hydrocarbons in paper products by headspace gas chromatography.

Herein, we report a rapid screening method for evaluating the hydrocarbon contamination in paper samples by headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC). This method was based on conducting the near-complete migratable release of hydrocarbons from a paper matrix to the headspace in 35 min at 98 °C. By programming the GC column temperature, other co-existing volatile organic compounds in the sample can be effectively separated from the migratable hydrocarbons. To simplify the method calibration, the concept of total migratable hydrocarbons was introduced and n-pentadecane was used as the standard hydrocarbon compound in the calibration. The results indicate that the present method offers good precision (the relative standard deviation < 9.8%) and accuracy (recovery between 94.3 and 101%). The present method can be a valuable tool for the quality assessment of total migratable hydrocarbons of paper products, aiming at providing a good guidance for safely using the recycled paper-based materials in various applications.

Determination of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol in polyamideamine epichlorohydrin resin solution by reaction-based headspace gas chromatography.

We report on a headspace gas chromatographic method for determining the content of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol in polyamideamine epichlorohydrin resin solution. It was based on quantitatively converting 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol to formaldehyde by periodate oxidation in a closed headspace sample vial at a room temperature for 10 min, and then to methanol by borohydride reduction at 90°C for 40 min followed by the headspace gas chromatographic measurement. The results showed that the present method has an excellent measurement precision (relative standard deviation < 2.60%) and accuracy (recoveries from 96.4-102%) in 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol analysis. The limit of quantitation was 0.031 mg/mL. It is simple and suitable for determining the 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol content in polyamideamine epichlorohydrin resin solution.

Determination of the content of alkyl ketene dimer in its latex by an ionic-liquid assisted headspace gas chromatography.

This paper reports on an ionic-liquid assisted headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) for the determination of the content of alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) in its latex samples, in which the GC system was equipped with a thermal conductivity detector (TCD). The method was based on the AKD hydrolysis conducted in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (ionic-liquid) added medium at 100°C for 10min in a closed headspace sample vial, and the measured CO2 (the resulting product of the hydrolysis) by HS-GC. The results showed that the present method has a good measurement precision (RSD <2.3%) and accuracy (recoveries from 96 - 105%), and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) is 0.9%. The present method is very suitable to be used for the routine check of AKD content in its latex sample in mill applications. The study also showed that the content of AKD in the tested commercial latex samples were in the range of 3.5-12%.

Determination of chlorinated volatile organic compounds in polyamine epichlorohydrin solution by headspace gas chromatography.

This study demonstrated a headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) method for the determination of residual epichlorohydrin (ECH) and the by-product 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (DCP) in polyamine epichlorohydrin (PAE) solution. It was based on the vapor-liquid phase equilibrium of these analytes at 60°C for 30min in a closed headspace sample vial before GC measurement. It was found that matrix of the PAE solution had the effect on the headspace equilibrium of these species and therefore a standard addition must be applied in the method validation. The results showed that the present method has a good measurement precision (RSD <2.90%) and accuracy (recoveries from 93.6 to 105%), and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) is 3.75mg/L for ECH and 0.8g/L for DCP. The present method is suitable to be used for analyzing the chlorinated volatile organic compounds in the commercial PAE resin solutions.

[A Method for Determination of Migratable Fluorescent Whitening Agents in Paper Products by Dual-Wavelength UV Spectroscopy].

The current national standard method GB/T 27741-2011, i.e., "quantitative determination of migratable fluorescent whitening agents-UV spectroscopy", overestimates the migratable fluorescent whitening agents (FWA) in the paper based products because of the spectral interference of the leached lignin from the cellulose fibers. To minimize such interference, a spectroscopic method based on dual-wavelength (305 and 348 nm) measurement was proposed. It was observed that the dual-wavelength spectroscopy can effectively subtract the spectral absorption contributed by the leached lignin in the extraction medium, thus more accurately determination of migratable FWA can be performed. The results showed that the present method has a relative standard deviation of 2.17%, the quantitative detection limit of 16.9 mg x kg(-1), and recovery of 98%-103%. Compared with the current alternative standard-HPLC method, the present method possesses advantages of low operation and maintenance costs, simple, and practical in application. Therefore, it is more suitable for the rapid determination of migratable FWA in the product quality control in the production process and sample examination in the commercial market.