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8749398 
Book/Book Chapter 
Gas chromatography | Petroleum and petrochemical applications 
Kanaujia, PK 
2019 
Elsevier 
Encyclopedia of Analytical Science 
217-231 
English 
Among all other analytical techniques, gas chromatography has established itself as a powerful tool for the analysis of petroleum, refined petroleum products, natural gas, LPG, and petrochemicals. For these applications, GC based characterization relies on the range of methods available as standard test procedures or as laboratory-developed methods intended for research activities. The upstream petroleum industry uses GC for determining the various factors governing the nature and thermal maturity of the explored oils. Analysis of gases and hydrocarbons evolved from sedimentary rocks reveals valuable information about their origin, formation and thermal maturity. The GC plays a significant role in the downstream refining sector primarily in the refinery process optimizations and quality control of the finished products. It is extensively employed in the determination of refinery gases composition, quality control/custody transfers of different petrochemical feedstock streams and LPG. One of the prominent applications of GC includes determination of boiling range distribution of varying petroleum products and crude oils. In the case of crude oils, boiling point distribution is essential information about their refining characteristics and product yields. The residue obtained towards the end is regarded as necessary for the determination of the economics of the refinery processes. Determination of the hydrocarbon types, additives, oxygenates and sulfur in gasoline is the most critical application of GC and aimed at ascertaining the molecular level information about the gasoline. Various standard methods are adopted to furnish this valuable information; however, the applicability of GC beyond gasoline, that is, above 225°C is still a challenge. Multicolumn and multidimensional GC coupled with high resolution mass spectrometric detectors have potential in revealing the hydrocarbon types in the middle distillates, and gas-oil range. GC, owing to its versatility, is also an essential analytical tool in studying the environmental implications of the petroleum industry. Oil spill source identification and bioremediation are some well-known research areas that enormously employ GC for monitoring the fate of hydrocarbons. The article is aimed at highlighting the role of gas chromatography in petroleum and petrochemical characterization. ASTM methods have been discussed mainly in addition to mentioning the relevant ISO and IP methods wherever available. The availability of standard practices in this area has resulted in their adoption by different countries and utilizing them for refinery process controls, quality checks and ensuring compliance with the regulatory specifications of various finished products. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. 
Astm; Bioremediation; Detailed hydrocarbon analyzer; Flame ionization detector; Gas chromatography; Gasoline; Hydrocarbons; Multidimensional gas chromatography; Oil spill; Petrochemicals; Petroleum; Refinery gas analyzer; Thermal conductivity detector