GC/MS Analysis of Fuels

Session 450, Room S502a, 8:30 a.m.

This Monday morning session will be presided over by Timothy A. Policke of BWXs Technologies.

The session will open with a presentation from Eric A. Boakye of South Dakota State University titled “Comparison of Pyrolysis Products of Prairie Cordgrass at Different Temperatures By Accelerated Solvent Extraction and GC–MS.” Boakye’s talk will focus on his work analyzing the products from pyrolysis at 600 °C and 900 °C by an automated fractionation method using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS).

Next, Ony Rabetsimamanga of GDF SUEZ – CRIGEN will present a talk titled “Liquid Extraction and Thermodesorption to Quantify Volatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography Associated to a Mass Spectrometer – GC–MS.” Rabetsimamanga will present and compare two techniques to quantify some VOCs down to ppt level in natural gas, biogas, and syngas.

The third presentation in this oral session, “Measurement of Volatile Siloxanes, Toxic Organic and Sulfur Compounds in Biomethane by GCMS and Pulsed Flame Photometric Detection,” will be given by Edward Bramston-Cook of Lotus Consulting. The talk will address recent legislation passed in California to monitor toxic and carcinogenic compounds in biomethane from landfills, publicly owned treatment works (sewage treatment plants), and dairies prior to allowing this gas to enter the natural gas pipeline in the state. Eight of the constituents can be assessed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric and sulfur detectors, so Bramston-Cook will discuss the recently configured Bruker SCION/456-GC GCMS with a pulsed flame photometric detector (PFPD) used by his company to measure these eight compounds, and how they have adapted the reference measurement procedures to handle the specified action levels.

Next, Randall Bramston-Cook also of Lotus Consulting will report on the creation of standards for these target toxic organics from permeation tubes in his talk titled “Calibration Standards for Measurement of Volatile Siloxanes and Toxic Organics in Biomethane Using Permeation Tubes.”

After a brief recess, Radheshyam Panta of Missouri University of Science and Technology will present a talk titled “Characterization and Quantification of Oxidation Byproducts including Copper Species in Natural Ester Based Dielectric Fluids.” Panta will discuss the characterization and quantification of copper species resulting from oxidation stress.

The final presenation in this oral session, “PLOT Column Technology Development Enhances Operation with Integrated Particle Trapping,” will be given by Gary Lee of Agilent Technologies. Lee will discuss the issues that new development in porous layer open tubular (PLOT) GC columns with integrated particle trapping technology address.