Analysis of Diesel

Importance of the topic

The accurate profiling of diesel hydrocarbons by gas chromatography is vital for quality assurance, regulatory compliance and process optimization in the petroleum industry.

Objectives and study overview

This application note demonstrates the capabilities of the SH-I-5HT high-temperature capillary column on a Shimadzu GC-FID system to separate diesel-range hydrocarbons from C10 to C40 within a single analytical run.

Methodology and instrumentation

Methodology:

• Column: SH-I-5HT (30 m × 0.32 mm ID, 0.25 μm film thickness) with 5 m guard column
• Temperature program: 50 °C initial, ramp 10 °C/min to 300 °C, hold 20 min
• Injection: 1 μL cold on-column at 53 °C ramped with same program
• Carrier gas: H₂ at 40 cm/s constant linear velocity
• Detector: FID at 330 °C with N₂ make-up gas (30 mL/min)

Main results and discussion

The method achieved baseline separation of C10 to C40 hydrocarbons with a total analysis time under 40 minutes. The SH-I-5HT column maintained peak shape integrity at high temperatures, delivering consistent retention times and minimal column bleed.

Benefits and practical applications

• High thermal stability for extended temperature ranges
• Reliable quantitation of diesel fuel components
• Enhanced throughput for routine QA/QC laboratories

Future trends and possible applications

Advances may include coupling with mass spectrometry for structural identification, ultra-fast GC for reduced cycle times, and automated data processing for real-time monitoring of fuel quality.

Conclusion

The SH-I-5HT column on a GC-FID platform offers a robust, high-temperature solution for comprehensive diesel hydrocarbon analysis, balancing speed, resolution and column longevity.

Reference

Shimadzu Corporation. ERAS-1000-0471, First Edition: September 2023.