I am posting this on behalf of Damien Jeannerat.
Monitoring of a Biodiesel Transesterification Process with a TD-NMR Spectrometer
The 19.5 MHz Spintrack NMR analyzer was utilized to study a FAME biodiesel production reaction. The samples analyzed were:
1) Used vegetable oil
2) Partially transesterified biodiesel product (bad biodiesel)
3) High yield FAME biodiesel product
4) Glycerin by-product from the process
CPMG T2 decays were generated and then that data was processed with a inverse laplace transformation to produce T2 distribution profiles.
NMR Experiment explanation is given below:
The CPMG data obtained on the four samples is shown below:
The T2 distribution profiles obtained by inverse Laplace transformation of the CPMG data are shown below:
Plainly TD-NMR can play a role in monitoring the biodiesel production process.
TD-NMR Analysis of Catalytic Cracker Feedstocks
The 19.5 MHz Spintrack NMR analyzer was utilized to study a large series of vacuum gas oils and FCC feeds for which PNA also has laboratory test data.
The analysis was performed on a SpinTrack 19.5 MHz TD-NMR spectrometer – CPMG T2 decays were generated and then that data was processed with a inverse laplace transformation to produce T2 distribution profiles. These T2 distribution profiles are currently being correlated to physical and chemical property data.
NMR Experiment explanation is given below:
The CPMG data obtained on the four samples is shown below:
The T2 distribution profiles obtained by inverse Laplace transformation of the CPMG data are shown below:
The correlation between T2 distribution and the metal content, viscosity, distillation range, density, asphaltene content are all being investigated at the current time.
13C NMR of FAME Biodiesel
Below are examples of 13C NMR data obtained on biodiesel (FAME) and the vegetable oil precursor that it was made from by transesterification process involving microwave activation of the reaction between triglycerides and methanol in the presence of a caustic catalyst. Process NMR Associates is developing correlations between 13C NMR data and biodiesel properties stipulated in ASTM 6751.
Detailed 13C NMR Analysis of Hydrocarbons – Patent Applications
Today one often finds hydrocarbon mixtures described by the detailed carbon type analysis that is possible from 13C NMR.
Many petroleum related products are being described in this way in patents leading to a novel way of describing a material and restricting others from using those same materials in products of their own. See Exxon, Mobil, and Chevron patents such as:
6,090,989 ; 6,210,559 ; 6,059,955 ; 6,846,778 ; 20050077208 ; and 20050077209
In this PDF file we have shown some of the details present in a 13C NMR spectrum on petroleum products such a base oils, gas oils, diesels, etc.
There are some issues with the assignements of many of these patents … for more details on how NMR might be of use in the patent process contact John Edwards