Diesel Fuel Analysis by GC-FIMS: Normal Paraffins, Isoparaffins, and Cycloparaffins

A reliable and convenient characterization method that provides a detailed hydrocarbon composition profile for transportation fuels is an important part of process optimization directed at reducing regulated emissions. In our previous study (Briker, Y.; Ring, Z.; Iacchelli, A.; McLean, N.; Rahimi P. M.; Fairbridge, C.; Malhotra, R.; Coggiola, M. A.; Young, S. E. Energy Fuels 2001, 15 (1), 23−37) we described the development of a modified gas chromatography, field ionization mass spectrometry method for detailed hydrocarbon type characterization of diesel fuel. The method proved to be an invaluable technique for rapid analysis of diesel fuel. It was less time-consuming and more informative than the existing mass spectrometry methods, from a characterization point of view, and it was user-friendly and did not require any major modification to an existing commercial instrument, from an instrumentation point of view. This method correlated well with the other methods for total aromatic and saturate groups, an...