Compositional Analysis and Environmental Performance of LAS Produced from GTL Normal Paraffin and Different Alkylation Routes

Abstract The production of normal paraffin from Gas to Liquids (GTL) plants provides LAB producers with a more cost-effective feedstock than normal paraffin extracted from kerosene. Test results to date demonstrate that the performance of GTL Normal Paraffin, and LAB and LAS derived from it, however, is equal to that of kerosene derived normal paraffin. Recent work has particularly focussed on the environmental performance of LAS produced from GTL Normal Paraffin. Detailed GC and NMR analyses confirm that there is little, if any, significant difference in the analytical “profiles” of the kerosene and GTL Normal Paraffin derived LAS samples. It is therefore not surprising that there is no difference in the biodegradability of kerosene and GTL Normal Paraffin derived LAS samples. All samples achieved > 60% mineralisation after 28 days (OECD 301B); all these data were consistent with previous biodegradability data for LAS from European Chemical Bureau (ECB) and Human & Environmental Risk Assessment (HERA) da...