Measurement of carbon to hydrogen ratio in hydrocarbons
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorFrank C Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The ratio of carbon to hydrogen in hydrocarbon samples is determined using gas chromatography and atomic emission detection. Comparison of the carbon to hydrogen ratio from different samples allows for qualitative determination of relative hydrogen content. Establishing a carbon to hydrogen ratio for a reference sample allows a further quantitative determination of carbon to hydrogen ratio.
Claims20
A method for characterizing the ratio of hydrogen to carbon in a sample, comprising:
- separating a plurality of compounds in a first hydrocarbon sample using gas chromatography;
- measuring atomic emissions from carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms for one or more compounds from the first hydrocarbon sample;
- determining a first hydrogen to carbon peak area ratio based on the hydrogen peak area and carbon peak area for the one or more compounds from the first hydrocarbon sample;
- separating a plurality of compounds in a second hydrocarbon sample using gas chromatography;
- measuring atomic emissions from carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms for one or more compounds from the second hydrocarbon sample;
- determining a second hydrogen to carbon peak area ratio based on the hydrogen peak area and carbon peak area for the one or more compounds from the second hydrocarbon sample;
- and
- comparing the first hydrogen to carbon peak area ratio and the second hydrogen to carbon peak area ratio.
A method for characterizing the ratio of hydrogen to carbon in sample, comprising:
- separating a plurality of compounds in a hydrocarbon sample using gas chromatography;
- measuring atomic emissions from carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms for one or more compounds from the hydrocarbon sample;
- determining a hydrogen to carbon peak area ratio based on the hydrogen peak area and carbon peak area for the one or more compounds from the hydrocarbon sample;
- and
- scaling the hydrogen to carbon peak area ratio to calculate a hydrogen to carbon ratio for the one or more compounds.
A method for characterizing the ratio of hydrogen to carbon in a sample, comprising:
- separating a plurality of compounds in a first hydrocarbon sample using gas chromatography;
- measuring atomic emissions from carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms for one or more compounds from the first hydrocarbon sample, the measured atomic emissions corresponding to a first carbon peak area and a first hydrogen peak area;
- separating a plurality of compounds in a second hydrocarbon sample using gas chromatography;
- measuring atomic emissions from carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms for one or more compounds from the second hydrocarbon sample, the measured atomic emissions corresponding to a second carbon peak area and a second hydrogen peak area;
- calculating a normalizing factor for the first carbon peak area, the first carbon peak area multiplied by the normalizing factor corresponding to the second carbon peak area;
- normalizing the first hydrogen peak area based on the normalizing factor;
- and
- comparing the normalized first hydrogen peak area and the second hydrogen peak area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.