Increments of the arithmetic retention index for non-ionic surfactants with a polyoxyethylene chain

Abstract

Arithmetic retention values were determined for successive homologues of the trimethylsilyl and acetyl derivatives of polyoxyethylene glycols, polyoxyethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, N-polyoxyethylene alkylamines and polyoxyethylene glycol monoalkylphenyl ethers. The increments of the arithmetic retention index were calculated for the characteristic groups present in the surfactants' molecules. They can be used to estimate the arithmetic retention indices with absolute errors of 20 (0.70–0.8%) for polyoxyethylene glycols, polyoxyethylene glycol monoalkyl ethers and N-polyoxyethylene alkylamines, and with an error of 35 (0.9%) for polyoxyethylene glycol monoalkylphenyl ethers.