Clarity Extension DETAILED HYDROCARBON ANALYSIS

Importance of the topic

Detailed hydrocarbon analysis (DHA) provides essential compositional data on complex hydrocarbon mixtures such as gasoline and volatile fuel samples. Accurate quantification of paraffins aromatics naphthenes olefins (PONA) is vital for quality control regulatory compliance and process optimization in petrochemical and fuel industries.

Objectives and overview of the method

This application note describes the DHA extension for the Clarity chromatography software and its compliance with ASTM D6730 official methods and optimized variants by DANI with and without cryogenic focusing. It outlines method specifications installation and data processing workflow enabling calculation of retention indexes corrected peak areas and the distribution of hydrocarbon classes by weight volume and carbon number.

Methodology and instrumentation

• Gas chromatograph equipped with flame ionization detector FID
• 100 meter high resolution capillary column with precolumn
• FID conditions typical temperature 250 deg C hydrogen air and helium makeup flows
• Carrier gas helium constant pressure mode

The extension supports four DHA methods including the ASTM D6730 standard and two proprietary DANI optimized protocols with and without cryo focusing and custom DHA method configuration. Each method specifies oven temperature programs injection split ratios and sample volumes to achieve baseline separation of C1 to C15 hydrocarbons.

Main results and discussion

DHA software automatically calculates Kovat retention indexes from calibration data corrects peak areas by relative response factors and computes percentage area weight and volume fractions of individual components. A pivot style group results table summarizes hydrocarbon class distributions by carbon number. Linking of custom compound names is managed by the Link Table feature.

Benefits and practical applications

• Automated compliance with standardized DHA methods
• Streamlined calibration creation for accurate retention index determination
• Flexible custom norm definition for proprietary methods
• Clear overview of PONA distribution for QA QC and process control
• Integrated reporting and export of results

Future trends and possibilities

Continued developments may include expanded support for high throughput screening advanced data analytics integration with LIMS and incorporation of novel fast temperature ramps and alternative detectors such as mass spectrometry for enhanced selectivity and sensitivity. Machine learning assisted peak identification and quality assessment could further optimize DHA workflows.

Conclusion

The Clarity DHA extension offers a comprehensive solution for detailed hydrocarbon analysis by automating norm compliant data processing calibration management and reporting. Its flexibility to adopt custom norms and optimized methods makes it a valuable tool in fuel characterization and petrochemical quality control.

Reference

• ASTM D6730 Standard Test Method for Detailed Hydrocarbon Analysis of Spark Ignition Engine Fuels and their mixtures