DETERMINATION OF RDX, 2,4,6-TRINITROTOLUENE AND OTHER NITROAROMATIC COMPOUNDS BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH PHOTODIODE-ARRAY DETECTION

An HPLC method with photodiode-array detection was developed for the determination of RDX, TNT and the most important aromatic nitro compounds. Three mobile phases, isocratic methanol-water (50:50), a methanol-water gradient and a methanol-water gradient containing 2% of tetrahydrofuran were tested. Under the isocratic conditions used diaminonitrotoluene and the tetranitroazoxytoluene isomers cannot be measured within one HPLC run whereas this could be achieved with the two gradient systems. Good separations are achieved with the gradient systems with different elution orders for the nitrated benzene, toluene and aminonitrotoluene isomers.