Process chromatography, analytical method Applications

Internal reflection spectroscopy is widely applied for on-line process control. In this type of application, the chemical reactor is equipped with an internal reflection probe or an IRE. The goal of this type of application is the quantification of reactant and/or product concentrations to provide real-time information about the conversion within the reactor. In comparison with other analytical methods such as gas chromatography, high-pressure liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy, ATR spectroscopy is considerably faster and does not require withdrawal of sample, which can be detrimental for monitoring of labile compounds and for some other applications. 

Chromatography, the process by which the components of a mixture can be separated, has become one of the primary analytical methods for the identification and quantification of compounds in the gaseous or liquid state. The basic principle is based on the concentration equilibrium of the components of interest, between two immiscible phases. One is called the stationary phase, because it is immobilized within a column or fixed upon a support, while the second, called the mobile phase, is forced through the first. The phases are chosen such that components of the sample have differing solubilities in each phase. The differential migration of compounds lead to their separation. Of all the instrumental analytical techniques this hydrodynamic procedure is the one with the broadest application. Chromatography occupies a dominant position that all laboratories involved in molecular analysis can confirm. 

While no analytical methods were located that are specific for detecting Stoddard solvent in sediment, as with water and soil, methods that detect other hydrocarbon mixtures may be applicable. For example, quantification of fuel oil hydrocarbons from sediments is a relatively involved process. Following extraction, the saturated and olefinic hydrocarbon fraction is separated from the aromatic hydrocarbon fraction using thin-layer chromatography or column chromatography. Fractions are subsequently analyzed by GLC (Gearing et al. 1980). 

---