Chemical degradation and analysis of polyoxyethylene glycols and ethylene oxide-α-butylene oxide block copolymers

Abstract The chemical degradation of polyoxyethylene glycols and block copolymers of ethylene oxide and α-butylene oxide by means of acetyl chloride in the presence of iron(III) chloride was investigated and used to determine with satisfactory precision and accuracy the content of polyoxyethylene groups in model and commercial products. The degradation products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.