Abstract
The manufacture, import, and use of bis(tributyltin) oxide (TBTO), which is a Class I Specified Chemical Substance under the "Law Concerning the Examination and Regulation of Manufacture, etc. of Chemical Substances," are prohibited in Japan. TBTO could not be analyzed by the methods used for detecting tributyltin (TBT) derivatives because TBTO could not be separated from other TBT compounds, such as TBT laurate, which is a Class II Specified Chemical Substance. Therefore, government agencies cannot regulate products containing TBTO sold on the market. We investigated a mass-spectrometry method for the detection of TBTO by direct sample injection using chemical ionization with isobutane as the reactant gas. Using bis(tributyltin) sulfide as an internal standard, quantitative analysis became more stable. The results of analysis of the resin hardeners by the method developed in this study suggested that TBTO was easily generated by the reaction of dibutyltin dimethoxide with water.
