Simultaneous Separation of Anionic, Nonionic, Cationic and Amphoteric Surfactants Using a Single HPLC Column

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the preferred analytical technique for the separation and identification of surfactants in consumer products. Although many HPLC columns are available for surfactant analysis, none of these columns provide optimal selectivity for the analysis of anionic, nonionic, cationic, and amphoteric surfactants. This article describes an HPLC column, Acclaim Surfactant, a high-efficiency silica-based column specially designed for separating anionic, nonionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants. This column offers ideal selectivity for different types of surfactants, excellent peak shapes, improved resolution of oligomers in ethoxylated surfactants, and the capability of retaining hydrotropes. Thus it can be used not only for quality assurance of surfactant raw materials, but also for the competitive analysis of a variety of surfactant-containing formulations.