Extractable organic compounds in polyurethane foam with special reference to aromatic amines and derivatives thereof Original Research Article

Methods for determination of aromatic amines and related compounds in flexible toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-based polyurethane (PUR) foam were investigated. The foam was extracted using 0.1% (w/v) aqueous acetic acid (HAc). Extraction solutions were analysed and aromatic amines were determined as ethyl chloroformate (Et) and pentafluoropropionic acid anhydride (PFPA) derivatives. The determinations were performed using liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection with electrospray ionisation (ESI) or gas chromatography (GC)–MS with chemical ionisation monitoring negative ions (NCI). The Et derivatives were determined using LC–ESI+-MS with detection limit of 2 pg of toluenediamine (TDA). The PFPA derivatives were determined using LC–ESI−-MS or GC–NCI-MS with detection limits of 0.1 and 0.02 pg of TDA, respectively. Using trideuterium labelled TDA as internal standard, linear calibration curves were obtained in the range of 0.01–0.50 μg ml−1 (n=7), with correlation coefficients >0.999. When plotting calibration curves for TDA–PFPA derivatives determined using LC–MS against TDA–PFPA using GC–MS and TDA–Et using LC–MS, linear curves were obtained. The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) for determination of TDA in foam extraction solutions were 13%. LC–MS determination of PFPA derivatives was more selective, as compared to LC–MS of Et derivatives.