Meaning
Chemical additives known as reference substances are added to samples in fixed quantities to ensure accurate quantification during chromatography. Utilizing internal standards is necessary when testing polymer extracts for restricted substances like plasticizers. This approach accounts for sample loss during multi-step prep routines and corrects for injection volume variations.
Calibration Method
The added compound must not be present in the original sample but must possess similar physical and chemical properties. During the analysis run, the ratio of the analyte signal to the internal standard signal remains constant even if some sample is lost. This ratio forms the basis of the calibration curve used for quantification.
Analytical Value
Polymer labs rely on this technique to measure trace additives. It identifies the concentration of legacy contaminants.
Extraction Control
Adding the standard prior to solvent extraction is crucial for calculating the matrix extraction efficiency. Any loss during the filtration or concentration steps will affect both compounds equally. This mechanism ensures that the final calculated concentration represents the true value in the polymer matrix rather than an artifact of lab errors.
By applying this method, laboratories reduce the variance of their migration tests, preventing false negatives that could lead to recalls of consumer packaging.