Methods for quantifying nitrogen-containing compounds in subterranean treatment fluids

A method comprising:

• placing a sample of a treatment fluid and an aqueous base in an oilfield retort, the treatment fluid comprising a nitrogen-containing polymer, wherein at least a portion of a headspace above the sample of the treatment fluid and the aqueous base is packed with steel wool or glass wool;
• heating the sample of the treatment fluid and the aqueous base together in the oilfield retort at least until the nitrogen-containing polymer has been substantially degraded to one or more volatile nitrogen compounds;
• distilling the one or more volatile nitrogen compounds from the oilfield retort and collecting the one or more volatile nitrogen compounds in a receiving solution comprising an acid;
• titrating at least a portion of the receiving solution with an acid titrant;
• and
• correlating an amount of the acid titrant used to titrate the receiving solution with a quantity of the nitrogen-containing polymer present in the sample of the treatment fluid.

A method comprising:

• placing a sample of a treatment fluid and an aqueous base in an oilfield retort, the treatment fluid comprising a nitrogen-containing polymer, wherein the nitrogen-containing polymer comprises an acrylonitrile polymer or copolymer, any derivative thereof, or any combination thereof, wherein at least a portion of a headspace above the sample of the treatment fluid and the aqueous base is packed with steel wool or glass wool;
• heating the sample of the treatment fluid and the aqueous base together in the oilfield retort at least until the nitrogen-containing polymer has been substantially degraded to one or more volatile nitrogen compounds, wherein the one or more volatile nitrogen compounds comprises ammonia;
• distilling the one or more volatile nitrogen compounds from the oilfield retort and collecting the one or more volatile nitrogen compounds in a receiving solution comprising an acid;
• titrating at least a portion of the receiving solution with an acid titrant;
• and
• correlating an amount of the acid titrant used to titrate the receiving solution with a quantity of the nitrogen-containing polymer present in the sample of the treatment fluid.