Presentation Profile
Quantification of the Composition of Liquid Hydrocarbon Streams: Comparing the GC-VUV to Established Methods
Currently Scheduled: 10/15/2019 - 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Room: Exhibit Hall A4
Main Author
Bill Winniford - Dow, Inc
- Melissa Dunkle - Dow Benelux
- Pascal Pijcke - Dow Benelux
- Georgios Bellos - Dow Benelux
Abstract:
Commercialization of GC-VUV instrumentation has afforded a new technique for the quantification of the hydrocarbon composition of samples. The gas-phase absorbance of hydrocarbons from 125 – 240 nm is sensitive to differences in compound classes as well as the small differences in positional isomers. This allows for the identification and quantification in a PIONA-like fashion based on the UV spectra when the VUV PIONA+ software is utilized. In Dow, the hydrocarbon composition of liquid hydrocarbon streams between C5 to C15 are typically evaluated using a detailed hydrocarbon analysis (DHA) or a GCxGC-FID analysis. The DHA analysis relies on a 1D GC-FID method, and while the FID is a universal detector, it is unable to provide identifications without appropriate analytical standards. Therefore, if peaks are closely eluting, or even co-eluting in the DHA method, identification, and thus, accurate quantitation can suffer. GCxGC coupled to FID detection can provide additional separation, which can reduce or eliminate the co-elutions observed by DHA; however, as with the DHA, identifications are not possible without appropriate analytical standards. This presentation will focus on the comparison of liquid hydrocarbon streams analyzed using both the DHA and GCxGC-FID methods compared to GC-VUV for hydrocarbon composition, with the emphasis being placed on the VUV’s enhanced accuracy of the group identification and quantification.
