Quantitation of trimethyl amine by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a base-modified column

Headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been successfully applied to the analysis of the highly volatile species trimethyl amine (TMA). TMA quantitation in fiberglass insulation resins (ultimately used by the automotive and building products industries) is of interest because of its highly odoriferous nature. The release of TMA from fiberglass insulation products is the principal component responsible for the "fishy" odor encountered in automobiles. Currently, the industry standard for the analysis of TMA involves injecting an aqueous insulation extract into the GC-MS equipped with a polyethylene glycol column. Several problems inherent in this analysis prohibit consistent performance and enhance the possibility for wide variations in the quantitative results. This article reports the development of a new approach to the quantitation of TMA from fiberglass insulation between the levels of 1 and 150 ppm.