ISO 17293-1:2014

Overview

ISO 17293-1:2014 specifies an HPLC method for the determination of chloroacetic acids (chloroacetates) - specifically monochloroacetic acid and dichloroacetic acid - in surfactant products. The standard applies to a range of anionic surfactants (e.g., alkyl (phenyl) ethoxylated carboxylates, AEC) and amphoteric surfactants (e.g., alkyl imidazoline carboxylate, alkyl dimethyl betaine and fatty acetyl propyl dimethyl betaine). It describes sample preparation, chromatographic conditions, calibration, quantification limits and precision expectations for reliable analytical testing.

Key Topics

• Analytes covered: monochloroacetic acid (monochloroacetate) and dichloroacetic acid (dichloroacetate).
• Analytical technique: high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection (typical detection at 214 nm).
• Column & mobile phase: analysis uses a C‑bonded silicone gel column (5 µm, 250 × 4.6 mm) and a mobile phase prepared from acetonitrile and water with added phosphoric acid; conditions (flow 1.0 ml/min, injection 20 µl, room temperature) are provided as validated parameters.
• Calibration: external standard calibration with prepared standard solutions; linearity requirement R ≥ 0.999.
• Sensitivity:
  • LOD (standard solution): ≤ 0.3 µg/ml (monochloroacetic), ≤ 0.2 µg/ml (dichloroacetic).
  • LOQ (standard solution): ≤ 1.0 µg/ml (monochloroacetic), ≤ 0.75 µg/ml (dichloroacetic).
  • At 5 g sample: LOD ≤ 6 mg/kg (mono) and ≤ 4 mg/kg (di); LOQ ≤ 20 mg/kg (mono) and ≤ 15 mg/kg (di).
• Sample prep notes: dissolve sample in mobile phase, adjust pH to match mobile phase with diluted HCl, filter prior to injection. For betaine-type samples, an informative annex describes a cation-exchange cleanup to remove interfering peaks.
• Precision expectations: repeatability r ~10% (≥50 mg/kg) or 15% (<50 mg/kg); reproducibility R ≈ 40%.

Applications

Who uses ISO 17293-1:2014:

• Quality control and R&D laboratories in detergent, personal care and chemical manufacturing for monitoring chloroacetate impurities.
• Regulatory and compliance testing to confirm product safety and meet limits on chloroacetic acid contamination.
• Environmental and analytical contract labs performing routine surfactant analysis.
  Practical benefits include standardized HPLC parameters, defined LOD/LOQ for trace-level monitoring, and documented sample cleanup for problematic matrices (e.g., betaines).

Related Standards

• ISO 17293-2 - Surface active agents - Determination of chloroacetic acid in surfactants - Part 2: ionic chromatographic method.
• Normative references within the standard: ISO 607 (sample division), ISO 3696 (water for analytical use), ISO 5725-2 (precision assessment).

Keywords: ISO 17293-1:2014, HPLC method, chloroacetic acid, chloroacetate, monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, surfactants, anionic surfactants, betaine, LOD, LOQ, analytical method.