Quantitative applications of high‐resolution proton magnetic resonance measurements in the characterization of detergent chemicals

Quantitative hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance measurements are used for the determination of average structures of detergent chemicals. For alkylbenzenes, alkylphenols, and ethylene oxide (EO) adducts of alkylphenols, the following quantities can be measured: average lengths of alkyl chains, average molecular weights, degree and kind of branching in the alkyl chain, ortho‐para distribution of aryl substituents, and average lengths of BO chains. Accuracy is of the the order of ŷ 2% of the total hydrogen. The method is nondestructive, and sample volumes as small as 0.007 ml have been used.