Characterization of Crude Oils and Petroleum Fractions Based on Structural Analysis

2 Characterization of Crude Oils and Petroleum Fractions Based on Structural Analysis 

As the boiling points increase, the cuts become more and more complex and the analytical means must be adapted to the degree of complexity. Tables 3.4 and 3.5 describe the most widely used petroleum product separation scheme and the analyses that are most generally applied. 

Although gas chromatography can give the concentration of each component in a petroleum gas or gasoline sample, the same cannot be said for heavier cuts and one has to be satisfied with analyses by chemical family, by carbon atom distribution, or by representing the sample as a whole by an average molecule. 

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