The hydroxyl number is an important sum parameter for quantifying the presence of hydroxyl groups in a chemical substance. As a key quality parameter, it is regularly determined in various polymers like resins, paints, polyesterols, fats, and solvents. Unlike other standards, EN 4629-2 works pyridine-free and without refluxing at elevated temperatures for a longer time. The determination is based on the catalytic acetylation of the hydroxyl group. It is performed at room temperature, requires only a small sample volumen, and can be fully automated.
This Application Note describes the potentiometric determination of the hydroxyl number in 1-octanol and polyethylene glycol according to EN 4629-2. Using the OMNIS DIS-Cover technique, all sample preparation steps can be fully automated. Furthermore, the use of an OMNIS Sample Robot allows parallel analysis of multiple samples. The average time per analysis for one sample is thus reduced from approximately 49 min to 25 min., considerably increasing productivity in the laboratory.