The qualitative characterization of two commercial ethyneamines epoxide hardeners marketed by ACROS (U.S.A.) was carried out by using carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The products were triethylenetetramine (TETA) and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA). TETA had four components, the most importante one being triethylenetetramine, an ethyleneamine of lineal structure, in a concentration of 60 mol%. Another component had ramified structure, while the other two exhibited recurrent structures of the piperazina type. TEPA had five components with similar structures. The major component was tetraethylenepentamine in an approximate concentration of 55 mol%. These results agree with the composition of similar products marketed by Dow Chemical Company, namely DEH 24 and DEH 26, respectively.
Ethyleneamines; polyethylene-polyamines; nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
