The Use of GCxGC-TOFMS and Classifications for the Quantitative Determination of Different Compound Classes

In Complex Isoparrafinic Hydrocarbon Samples

Introduction

One of the important challenges facing hydrocarbon analysts is the accurate determination of the amounts of different classes of compounds in complex samples. For example a typical aliphatic hydrocarbon sample may contain linear hydrocarbons ranging over twenty or more carbon numbers, as well as a plethora of branched and cyclic hydrocarbon isomers over a similar range of carbon numbers. One dimensional gas chromatographic (GC) analysis is inadequate for this task, even when using long specialized columns, and Time-of-Flight Mass
Spectrometry (TOFMS), as can be seen in Figure 1.