Ethanolamine Analysis by GC/MS using a Zebron™ ZB-5MSPLUS ™ GC Column

Importance of the topic

Analysis of ethanolamines is crucial in industries such as petrochemical, pharmaceuticals and environmental monitoring due to their widespread use and challenging chromatographic behavior. Rapid and reliable quantification is essential for quality control and regulatory compliance.

Objectives and overview

This study presents a fast GC/MS method employing a highly deactivated Zebron ZB-5MSPLUS™ column to achieve sharp peak shapes and efficient separation of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine in under 6 minutes.

Methodology and instrumentation

• Analytes: monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine with triethylene glycol monomethyl ether as internal standard.
• Injection: split mode 200:1, 1 µL at 250 °C to accommodate low-volatility compounds.
• Carrier gas: helium at 1.4 mL/min constant flow.
• Oven program: 30 °C to 300 °C at 40 °C/min.
• Detection: mass selective detector at 320 °C.

Instrumentation used

• Gas chromatograph with Zebron ZB-5MSPLUS column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 1.00 µm film; Part No. 7HG-G030-22).
• Mass spectrometer for sensitive and selective compound identification.

Key results and discussion

The optimized method yielded baseline separation of all target analytes with excellent peak symmetry and minimal tailing. Total analysis time was under 6 minutes, significantly improving sample throughput. The deactivated stationary phase reduced active site interactions and enhanced reproducibility.

Benefits and practical applications

• High-throughput screening for QA/QC laboratories handling ethanolamine mixtures.
• Robust performance in complex matrices due to reduced peak tailing.
• Fast analysis reduces solvent consumption and operational costs.

Future trends and potential applications

Further developments may include coupling with tandem MS for enhanced specificity, application to derivatized amines, and integration into automated workflows. Advances in column chemistries and faster detectors could further shorten analysis time and expand applicability.

Conclusion

A rapid and reliable GC/MS method using a Zebron ZB-5MSPLUS column has been demonstrated for ethanolamine analysis, offering significant improvements in speed, peak quality and reproducibility for routine laboratory applications.

References

No external literature cited in the original document.