Method of quantitatively detecting chloromethyl methyl ether and/or bis- chloromethyl ether with improved sensitivity

摘要

Method of quantitatively determining chloromethyl methyl ether and/or bis-chloromethyl ether at greater sensitivity comprising utilizing an alkali metal salt of a lower alcohol and a readily detectable organic hydroxy compound in lower alcohol medium in a salt-to-hydroxy compound molar ratio of from about 0.2:1 to about 5:1 to react, when warmed, with either or both of said ethers, to form derivatives thereof; adding water to the reaction mixture and an immiscible hydrocarbon solvent; agitating and partitioning the mixture and directing at least a portion of the immiscible organic solvent extract onto a suitable gas chromatograph, preferably packed with glass beads with a stationary liquid phase thereon and more preferably with the beads coated with OV275 as the liquid phase; and eluting the reaction product or products off the column and through a detector therefor with an inert gas.