Assessing raw materials as potential adsorbents to remove acidic compounds from Brazilian crude oils by ESI (-) FT-ICR MS.

The presence of acidic compounds as naphthenic acids in crude oil causes several problems for the petroleum industry, including corrosion in both upstream and downstream production processes. Based on this scenario, the main objective of this work was to investigate the removal of the acidic compound from two Brazilian heavy oils by adsorption processes using six potential adsorbents: powdered shale, activated carbon, bentonite, silica gel, powdered sandstone and powdered wood. These raw materials were previously characterized by conventional and surface analysis techniques, which show that they offer a good surface area and thermal stability. To evaluate the removal efficiency at the molecular level, the crude oil samples and the filtered oils were analyzed by negative electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry [ESI (-) FTICR MS]. The O2 class, which is related to the relatively high acidity of the samples, was the most abundant in both crude oil samples, moreover, this class was more retained by adsorbents. Silica gel, activated carbon and bentonite were the best adsorbents of acidic compounds from the tested oils, in agreement with their markedly higher surface area and porous volume. Additionally, a chromatographic analysis was performed and showed no changes in the oil profile.

Fullerenes in asphaltenes and other carbonaceous materials: natural constituents or laser artifacts.

The presence of fullerenes as natural constituents of carbonaceous materials or their formation as laser artifacts during laser desorption ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is reinvestigated and reviewed. The results using asphaltene samples with varying composition as well as standard polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and fullerene samples as models have demonstrated that indeed Cn ring fullerenes are not natural constituents but they are formed as common and often as predominant artifacts upon laser radiation, and a series of incorrect assignments based on LDI-MS data of several carbonaceous materials seems unfortunately to have been made. When the present results are evaluated also in the light of the vast literature on LDI-MS of carbonaceous materials, the formation of fullerene artifacts seems particularly common for LDI-MS analysis of asphaltenes and other carbonaceous samples with considerably high levels of PAH and varies according to the type of laser used, and the intensity of the laser beam.

Monitoring chemical compositional changes of simulated spilled Brazilian oils under tropical climate conditions by multiple analytical techniques.

To comprehensively understand the chemical changes over time of spilled oils subject to tropical climate conditions and the active weathering processes, a spill simulation experiment was conducted along 210 days with two distinct Brazilian oils (19 and 24 API) under irradiation and non-irradiation of sunlight. Isoprenoids and n-alkanes showed a great loss after 40 days for both oils under the two conditions due to evaporation. Diagnostic ratios of saturated biomarkers showed no changes, whereas the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons had a decreasing concentration under both conditions mainly due to evaporation. Furthermore, oxygenated polar compounds produced by photooxidation were investigated by ESI(-) FT-ICR MS and showed changes only for the oils exposed to sunlight irradiation. Based on the observed polar compositional changes, new parameters are suggested using heteroatom classes to estimate oil spill time under tropical conditions: NO3/NO2; NO3/(NO + NO2); ∑NOx/N1; (O4 + O3)/(O2 + O1); O4/(O2 + O1); and O3/O2.

Petroleomics via Orbitrap mass spectrometry with resolving power above 1 000 000 at m/z 200.

The performance of the high-field MegaOrbitrap Fourier transform mass spectrometer (FT-MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI) was evaluated to perform petroleum sample characterization via classical petroleomics approaches. Pertinent parameters that underpin the main figures of merit, that is, signal to noise ratios, dynamic range, spectral error, scan speed, mass accuracy and mass resolving power = R p, and provide subsidies to develop these analyzers were tested. Comparisons are made with data obtained using the most common petroleomics instrument, which is a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS), that has been used in the last decade in our laboratory for crude oil analysis providing R p of 340 000 at m/z 400 with transients of 3 s duration, and has been extensively demonstrated to fulfill all major requirements for precise petroleomics investigations. The high-field compact MegaOrbitrap mass analyzer, when operated at an R p = 840 000 at m/z 400 (R p > 1 000 000 at m/z 200) with a detection time of 3 s, was found to be well suited for adequate characterization of crude oil. Accurate class classification and mass accuracy below 1 ppm was obtained leading to proper, comprehensive petroleomics characterization.