Rapid Molecular-Level Characterisation of Non-Volatile Components of Crude Oil

Crude oil is an extremely complex mixture of hydrocarbons and other chemicals which varies widely depending on origin, age, maturity and how the petroleum was formed. Detailed chemical analysis can produce ‘fingerprints’ that can be used to determine the source of the petroleum. High boiling hydrocarbons as well as highly polar compounds are not accessible to traditional GC/MS analysis but can be easily and rapidly accessed with Bruker’s LDI technology. 

Crude oil samples can be measured by LDI without any purification by dissolving 10 mg of oil in 990 μL toluene. 1 μL of this solution is applied to a stainless steel target and simply dried for 15 min at room temperature. Following acquisition at a mass resolving power of 450,000 (m/z 400), molecular formulae are automatically calculated for each peak in the mass spectrum and grouped by classification. 

Bruker’s unique eXtreme resolution technology is essential for resolving and calculating the correct molecular formula of each chemical peak in these types of complex samples. Applying statistically based principal component analysis enables the differentiation of crude oils based on their different chemical qualities. This capability can be vital for detecting even slight differences in reservoirs or temperature or pressure that cannot be detected by any other analytical means.