Rapid Analysis of Low Molecular Weight Cyclic Siloxanes Using a Backflush GC System

Silicone products often contain cyclic siloxanes with low molecular weight, which may become a cause of conduction faults. As such, the total weight of low molecular weight cyclic siloxanes from D3 to D10 is used as an index for quality standards. Since the extracts from silicone products contain many components with high boiling points, the analysis time was elongated in order to expel such components from the column. However, by using a backflush GC system, components with high boiling points can be removed efficiently from the system and thus greatly reduce the time required for analysis.