A standard addition method for the quantitative determination of succinic acid and levulinic acid in processed acid stream extracts employing indirect UV capillary electrophoresis

This paper describes an capillary electrophoresis (CE) method used to quantify both succinic acid and levulinic acid in an industrial production process. Measurement was performed by CE with indirect UV detection, using potassium hydrogen phthalate as the UV-absorbing additive. The electrolyte composition used was 5 mM potassium hydrogen phthalate at pH 7.0 containing 0.25 mM cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as an electrosmotic flow (EOF) modifier to reverse the EOF. The method provides for improved sensitivity by employing an extended path length capillary, and for identification and quantification by the use of a standard addition method.