Determination of ethylene oxide in ethoxylated surfactants and demulsifiers by headspace gas chromatography

A headspace gas chromatographic method for the determination of traces of ethylene oxide in ethoxylated surfactants and demulsifiers was developed. Samples are analyzed directly by the technique to a 1.0 ppm (w/w) quantitation limit. The procedure also performs well for propylene oxide, acetaldehyde, and 1,4-dioxane. It is simple, sensitive, and linear. The percent relative standard deviations for 0.5 and 30 ppm ethylene oxide in the surfactant were 2.8 and 8.3%, respectively.