A Modified Method for the Determination of the Carboxyl Groups in Fibers by Headspace Gas Chromatography

This paper reports an improved headspace gas chromatographic method for the determination of carboxyl group content in wood fibers. Pretreatment of wood fibers was applied using dilute HCl to convert carboxyl groups to carboxylic acid groups and then using deionized water to wash fiber samples thoroughly. The samples were finally air dried. Sodium bicarbonate solution was used to react with carboxylic acid groups of the pretreated fibers in a closed testing vial to release carbon dioxide. The content of carboxyl groups in fibers was accurately quantified by determining the amount of carbon dioxide released by a headspace gas chromatograph equipped with a thermal conductivity detector. The modified process for fiber sample pretreatment increased the reliability and accuracy in measuring carboxylic acid groups. The present method is simple, accurate.