Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee D16 on Aromatic, Industrial, Specialty and Related Chemicals, this test method was withdrawn in September 2022 and replaced by Test Method D7504 on Trace Impurities in Monocyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Gas Chromatography and Effective Carbon Number.1

4.1 This test method is suitable for setting specifications on the materials referenced in 1.2 and for use as an internal quality control tool where isopropylbenzene is produced or is used in a manufacturing process. It may also be used in development or research work involving isopropylbenzene.

4.2 This test method is useful in determining the purity of isopropylbenzene with normal impurities present including diisopropylbenzenes. If extremely high boiling or unusual impurities are present in the isopropylbenzene, this test method would not necessarily detect them and the purity calculation would be erroneous.

4.3 Cumene hydroperoxide, if present, will yield decomposition products that will elute in the chromatogram thereby giving incorrect results.

4.4 The nonaromatic hydrocarbons commonly present from the isopropylbenzene manufacturing process will interfere with the determination of benzene when Column A in Table 1 is used.

4.5 The internal standard must be sufficiently resolved from any impurity and the isopropylbenzene peak.

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the purity of isopropylbenzene (cumene) by gas chromatography.

1.2 This test method has been found applicable to the measurement of impurities such as nonaromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, ethylbenzene, t-butylbenzene, n-propylbenzene, alpha-methylstyrene, sec-butylbenzene, and diisopropylbenzene, which are common to the manufacturing process of isopropylbenzene. The limit of quantitation for these impurities averages 0.0030 wt.% based on the data in Table 2, while the limit of detection for these impurities averages 0.0010 wt.%. This method has been found applicable for concentrations of various components up to 0.0571 wt.%.

1.3 In determining the conformance of the test results using this method to applicable specifications, results shall be rounded off in accordance with the rounding-off method of Practice E29.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For specific hazard statements, see Section 7.

1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.