Determination of alkylketene dimer sizing agent products in paper by capillary gas chromatography

Abstract

A capillary gas chromatographic procedure has been developed for the analysis of alkylketene dimers (AKDs), which are used as sizing agents in paper manufacture. The method is based on the hydrolytic extraction and quantification of long-chain ketones, the identities of which were confirmed by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The procedure gives good precision (relative standard deviation ca. 1%) and acceptable recoveries of AKD products from both surface and internally sized papers (104 and 88%, respectively). It can also be used to determine the fate of AKDs in continuously operated paper-making equipment.