DETERMINATION OF 1,3-DICHLORO-2-PROPANOL AND 3-CHLORO-1,2-PROPANEDIOLIN PAPERS TREATED WITH POLYAMIDOAMINE-EPICHLOROHYDRIN WET-STRENGTH RESINS BY GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY USING SELECTIVE ION MONITORING

Polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin wet-strength resins for paper contain s mall amounts of 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol f ormed by side reactions from epichlorohydrin used in the production pr ocess. Normally some residues of these substances are transferred to t he wet-strength treated paper. An analytical method has therefore been developed for the simultaneous determination of 1,3-dichloro-2-propan ol and 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol in paper in the 0.05-2 mg/kg range. Th e compounds are simultaneously extracted and silylated with a solution of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide in acetonitrile and fina lly determined by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in th e selective ion monitoring mode against an internal standard. The dete ction limits are 0.04 mg/kg for both 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol and 3-chl oro-1,2-propanediol. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.