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A Comparative Evaluation of Nitrogen Compounds in Petroleum Distillates

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Abstract

Although the concentration of nitrogen compounds in crude oil is relatively low, they can become more concentrated in petroleum distillates and poison the catalysts used in refining processes. They cause undesirable deposits, color formation and odor in products; they also contribute to air pollution and some are highly carcinogenic. The poisoned catalyst becomes deactivated for hydrodesulfurization and unable to remove sulfur from middle distillates. In order to understand the effect on catalytic processes, it is desirable to identify the nitrogen compounds in various petroleum distillates. This paper compares the nitrogen species profiles in different petroleum distillates using a nitrogen chemiluminescence detector. In addition, four different petroleum distillate samples from different refineries were analyzed to find the variation in their nitrogen profiles. The nitrogen compounds in petroleum distillate samples were identified as anilines, quinolines, indoles, and carbazoles and their alkyl derivatives. Quantitation was carried out against known reference standards. The quantitative data were compared to the total nitrogen content determined by elemental analysis.

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Correspondence to Dheer Singh.

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Singh, D., Chopra, A., Patel, M.B. et al. A Comparative Evaluation of Nitrogen Compounds in Petroleum Distillates. Chromatographia 74, 121–126 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10337-011-2027-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10337-011-2027-1

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