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Title: Computer-assisted qualitative and quantitative analyses of energy-related complex mixtures

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7064835

Recent advances in the efficiency of gas chromatography (GC) columns and improvements in instrument hardware and computer software have facilitated rapid and accurate analysis of complex organic mixtures. By applying manufacturer-supplied software (calibrated-peak methods) and custom software based on retention indices (RI) (Demirgian, 1984; Stamoudis and Demirgian, 1985), most of the classes of chemicals in these mixtures can be rapidly analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Sample prefractionation is essential because it produces simpler mixtures for GC analysis, and it separates constituents by chemical class, which aids automated identification. In the analysis of any new material, existing sample preparation procedures are validated for the material or modified to produce well-resolved chemical class fractions. Representative samples and their subfractions are characterized by GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) before analysis by computer-assisted GC. During our studies of the toxicological interactions of chemicals in complex mixtures, we have isolated, subfractionated, and characterized the neutral components of a variety of energy-related materials. Here we present chemical characterization and mutagenicity data of selected fractions from three coal-gasification by-product tars, two from pilot-plant gasifiers, and one from a commercial scale gasifier, and analogous data for aromatic subfractions from two additional pilot gasifiers, as well as one from the commercial gasifier. 22 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
7064835
Report Number(s):
CONF-8510411-1; ON: DE87004960
Resource Relation:
Conference: Environmental Protection Agency symposium on short-term bioassays in the analysis of complex environmental mixtures, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, 20 Oct 1985; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English