A Rapid, Precise Determination of C1-C4 Normal Volatile Fatty Acids in Aqueous Solutions by Gas Chromatography

The objective of this work is to develop a rapid and precise method for determining free volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in cellulosic polymers. The VFAs are extracted with water and determined quantitatively by gas chromatography (GC). A thermal conductivity detector (TCD) is used to detect formic acid, and separation of the VFAs is achieved by using a wide-bore fused-silica Carbowax 20M capillary column. The method is rapid and precise, and a coefficient of variation of 3% for formic acid is determined.