Simultaneous separation and determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by high-performance liquid chromatography in the manufacture of anthraquinone from anthracene cake

A method was proposed for the simultaneous separation and determination of the PAH compounds involved in the manufacture of anthraquinone as additive in the pulp and paper industry from anthracene cake. The method was suitable for the analysis of both anthracene cake and high-purity anthraquinone. Carbazole, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene and 2-methylanthracene were found in the cake and 9-fluorenone, phenanthrenequinone, carbazole, anthrone, fluorene, phenanthrene and anthracene were isolated from high-purity anthraquinone. Reversed-phase HPLC using a 10 um carbon-18 Spherisorb ODS 2 column and methanol-water (4 to 1 volume to volume) as eluent required a flow rate of 1.5 ml per minute and UV detection of 254 nm. The proposed method was rapid (8-12 minutes), precise and cost-effective.