New Directions in Alternative Fuels?

Recent analytical requests from alternative fuel companies seem to have a common emerging theme.  There now seems to be considerable interest in the minor components for at least three reasons:

1. Possible environmental issues,
2. Possible quality issues with the fuel and
3. Possible useful by-products from the process.

The first two of these issues have been around for quite some time, but the third issue is relatively new.  It comes from the chemical complexity of the feedstocks and the possibility that small amounts of very valuable chemicals might be produced.  This has initiated a whole host of new analytical challenges.

Alternative fuel feedstocks are generally macromolecules containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur.  Different materials and processes lead to a wide variety of minor components including:

1. Organic acids, aldehydes, ketones and alcohols
2. Organic amines, pyrines and imidazoles
3. Aromatic compounds – including polyaromatic rings
4. Organic mercaptans, sulfides and thiophenes
5. Essential oils (terpenes and terpenoids)

There is no one analytical technique that is suitable for all of these compounds.  Some are very volatile.  Some are very water soluble.  Some are extremely polar.  Some are extremely reactive. 

Many of these can be analyzed by Gas Chromatography with a Mass Spectrometer detector (GC/MS).  Some compounds are volatile enough to be exchanged into a gas phase by headspace analysis.  Less volatile compounds often require extraction or exchange into an appropriate organic solvent.  Many times reactive or polar compounds must be derivatized to make them suitable for GC/MS analysis.  After proper sample preparation, the proper column must be selected.  These can range from non-polar columns such as 100% methyl-silicone to highly polar columns coated with poly-glycols.  Further complexities include selecting deactivation techniques for the analytical column, injection conditions, temperature programming and, of course, mass-spectral interpretation.

SALLC is very familiar with these and many other analytical techniques for identifying and quantitating a wide range of compounds (including all those listed above).  If your company has a complex analytical issue please contact us.  We would be glad to help.  Feel free to email Ron Stites at [email protected].