Aspects of High-Resolution Gas Chromatography as Applied to the Analysis of Hydrocarbon Fuels and Other Complex Organic Mixtures. Volume 1

Turbine engine fuels are complex mixtures of hydrocarbons which have until recently, been obtained almost exclusively from petroleum. There is growing interest in developing alternative feedstocks for the eventual production of high-quality turbine engine fuels. The major analytical technique for separating the chemical constituents and analyzing fuels and synfuel feedstocks is high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC), and the extreme chemical complexity of these hydrocarbon mixtures continues to challenge even the most sophisticated HRGC techniques. Therefore, the principal objective of this research was to identify and evaluate advanced HRGC instrumental procedures which show potential for improving the analysis of hydrocarbon jet fuels and various feedstocks. A gas chromatograph can be viewed as an assembly of individual components arranged to form a time invariant linear system. Accordingly, a systems approach has been used in this investigation to study, refine, and modify HRGC instrumentation. Originator supplied keywords include: High-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC); Shale oil; Fused silica capillary columns; Open tubular capillary (OTC); Multidimensional gas chromatography; Elution zone.