Separation of non-volatile components of fossil fuels at very high resolution and their structural characterization. Progress report, May 1, 1984-April 30, 1985

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5799297

Novotny, M V

Current research has primarily focused on the means to resolve effectively complex mixtures of heterocyclics. Various microcolumns were investigated, but the reversed-phase systems which utilize C/sub 8/- and C/sub 18/-bonded materials (3 or 5 ..mu..m particle size) were found most effective. An example of such optimized separations is shown in the attached Figure 1, which displays the sulfur-containing fraction of a coal liquid. The microcolumn used exhibited 240,000 theoretical plates, allowing an effective resolution and a subsequent mass-spectral investigation. Nitrogen-containing polycyclics and phenolics have also been separated and we are currently in the process of elucidating their structures through mass-spectral investigations. As our first attempt to expand the identification capabilities, in association with microcolumn liquid chromatography, we have designed and tested a photodiode array-based detector that is capable of the acquisition of total fluorescence spectra from chromatographic peaks. The system shows adequate spectral resolution at a low-picogram detection limit (using a conventional light source), and no sacrifice of chromatographic resolution. We have shown on a ''model separation'' of coal tar constituents that both total fluorescence and selective profiles can be acquired in addition to spectral subtraction capabilities. 4 references, 1 figure.

• Research Organization: Indiana Univ., Bloomington (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-84ER60215
• OSTI ID: 5799297
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60215-1; ON: DE85010162
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
COAL LIQUIDS
FRACTIONATION
COAL TAR
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
COLUMN PACKING
PHENOLS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUORESCENCE
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
AROMATICS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DATA
FLUIDS
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LIQUIDS
LUMINESCENCE
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PACKINGS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TAR
010600* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition
400102 - Chemical & Spectral Procedures