Determination of stable carbon and hydrogen isotopes of light hydrocarbons

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Analytical Chemistry (Washington); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00194a007· OSTI ID:5495088

Dumke, I; Faber, E; Poggenburg, J ^[1]

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1. Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover (West Germany)

A combined system for the measurement of {sup 13}C/{sup 12}C and D/H ratios on light hydrocarbons (C{sub 1}-C{sub 3}) and CO{sub 2} is described. The system is designed for natural gas and sediment gas analyses. It comprises gas chromatographic separation with online combustion of hydrocarbons to CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O, reduction of H{sub 2}O to H{sub 2} on zinc in closed ampules, and mass spectrometric determination of isotope ratios ({delta}{sup 13}C, {delta}D) using a mass spectrometer inlet system especially designed for low hydrogen gas quantities. Isotope analyses can be carried out in the range of 3-10,000 {mu}L of CO{sub 2} and 100-10,000 {mu}L of H{sub 2} (gas quantities converted from sample compounds during preparation, STP). Including all preparation steps, reproducibility of isotope values for large sample quantities (>100 {mu}L of produced CO{sub 2} and >1,000 {mu}L of produced H{sub 2}). is {plus minus}0.2{per thousand} for {delta}{sup 13}C and {plus minus}3{per thousand} for {delta}D.

• OSTI ID: 5495088
• Journal Information: Analytical Chemistry (Washington); (United States), Vol. 61:19; ISSN 0003-2700
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
HYDROCARBONS
CARBON
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
HYDROGEN
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
NATURAL GAS
SPECTRAL RESPONSE
STABLE ISOTOPES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
ISOTOPES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTROSCOPY
030200* - Natural Gas- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration