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Title: Computer-assisted analysis of energy-related complex mixtures by retention-index gas chromatography

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5244638

This report describes a computer-assisted method of rapidly analyzing - qualitatively and quantitatively - a series of qualitatively similar complex organic mixtures. Mixtures analyzed include the by-product oils and tars obtained during gasification of coal. A combination of computer-controlled, capillary-column gas chromatrography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) is used to identify and quantify the chromatographable organic components in coal-gasification samples. The analytical procedure consists, essentially, of the following parts: (1) GC/MS analysis of a representative raw sample to identify the chemical components of interest; (2) GC analysis of a standard mixture, qualitatively and quantitatively similar to the raw sample and that includes the standard chemicals used for computing retention indices; (3) GC analysis of the representative raw sample, under the same conditions as were present in Steps 1 and 2 above, to assign a retention index (RI) to each peak identified by GC/MS in Step 1; (4) GC analysis of the unknown samples; and (5) application of custom software to each GC analytical report generated in Step 4 to obtain a list of the compounds and their concentrations in the unknown samples. The software in Step 5 calculates, among other parameters, response factors of the components in the standard mixture, the concentration of each sample component, aromatic retention indices, and peak elution temperatures, and then prints reports that contain all of these parameters.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5244638
Report Number(s):
DOE/MC/49682-1836; ANL/SER-5; ON: DE85013702
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English