IMS Detection Of Dober Detergent — Chematic 82AE

An IMS method for determining trace quantities of Dober's Chematic® 82AE detergent (a basic detergent) has been developed using the IONSCAN-LS. The method is based on the detection of the surfactant LAE (linear alcohol ethoxylate), a material also found in other Dober detergents — such as the acidic Chematic 91AE and the neutral Chematic 99AE — and variations of this method can readily be developed to analyze for those detergents.

Theory
Cleaning verification methods for detergents are generally based on the detergent component that is the most difficult to rinse, and therefore a good indicator of effective cleaning. The surfactant is that component in detergent formulations: the one that is the "last to leave." Surfactants typically make up 0.5 – 10 percent of a detergent formulation, and they are often mixtures of oligomers of different chain lengths. Consequently, "total" surfactant gives rise to several peaks in an IMS plasmagram. This is the case with surfactant LAE. The method in this application note is based on the detection of the lowest molecular weight LAE peak.