Studies on the Analysis of Various Detergents. I.

Abstract

A method for identifying the surfactant components of commercial heavy duty liquid laundry detergents was devised using two-dimensional thin layer chromatography. For the chromatography, Silica Gel G was used as the stationary phase and solvent system consisting of ethyl methyl ketone-benzene-ethanol-water in the first direction and 4-methyl-2-pentanone-1-propanol-acetic acid-acetonitrile in the second direction.The chromatographic patterns obtained from the two-dimensional thin layer chromatography of the commercial heavy duty liquid laundry detergents showed two series of spots in the upper and central areas. These spots were identified respectively as nonionic and anionic surfactants on the basis of Rf values and indicators. The ethanol extracts of these spots were examined by UV, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and the results were compared with the spectra of standard surfactants. The nonionic surfactnt was thus identified as alkyl poly (oxyethylene) ether, and anionic surfactants were detected as being only linear alkylbenzenesulfonate in one case and as both linear alkylbenzeneselfonate and alkylethoxylated sulfate in other case.The above data indicate that the two-dimensional thin layer chromatography technique is an effective method for detecting the surfactant components of a detergent consisting of anionic and nonionic surfactants.