Comparing Crude Oils with Different API Gravities on a Molecular Level Using Mass Spectrometric Analysis. Part 2: Resins and Asphaltenes

Jandyson M. Santos, Alessandro Vetere, Alberto Wisniewski, Marcos N. Eberlin and Wolfgang Schrader
Additional contact information
Jandyson M. Santos: ThoMSon Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, 13083-970 São Paulo, Brazil
Alessandro Vetere: Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, D-45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
Alberto Wisniewski: Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Sergipe-UFS, São Cristóvão, 49100-000 Sergipe, Brazil
Marcos N. Eberlin: ThoMSon Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, 13083-970 São Paulo, Brazil
Wolfgang Schrader: Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, D-45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: The combination of fractionation methods for crude oils, such as saturate, aromatic, resin and asphaltene (SARA) fractionation, in combination with analysis by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) has been used for reducing the complexity and improving the characterization of crude oils. We have used the FT-ICR MS techniques in conjunction with electrospray ionization (ESI(±)) and atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI(+)) to find trends between MS data of SARA fractions of crude oils with different American Petroleum Institute (API) gravities from the Sergipe-Alagoas basin (Brazil), focusing on the resin and asphaltene fractions. For the first time, an adaptation of the SARA fractionation has been performed to obtain a second resin fraction, which presented compounds with an intermediate aromaticity level between the first resins and asphaltene fraction. Both the first and second resin and the asphaltene fractions were studied on a molecular level using multiple ionization techniques and FT-ICR MS to find a direct relationship between the API gravities of a heavy, medium and light crude oil. For the FT-ICR MS data and the API gravities an aromaticity tendency was found. The data show that the use of SARA fractionation with FT-ICR MS offers a tool for comprehensive characterization of individual fractions and selective chemical characterization of the components in crude oils.

Keywords: API gravity; crude oil; SARA fractions; ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/10/2767/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/10/2767/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:11:y:2018:i:10:p:2767-:d:175876

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().