A technique for the identification and direct analysis of hexahydro-1,3,5-tris(2-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine in metalworking fluids using electrospray-mass spectrometry.

Hexahydro-1,3,5-tris(2-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine is a widely used biocide in metalworking fluids that resists direct quantification in many analytical methods due to instability. It can be detected in electrospray-mass spectrometry (ES-MS) due to the formation of a charged and relatively stable adduct with the sodium ion. This adduct produces a distinct ion spectrum via collision-induced fragmentation, which should promote specific detection of the analyte in complex matrices.