Separation and Characterization of Polycyclic Hydrocarbons from Georgian Petroleum

Authors

  • Giorgi ARESHIDZE, Khatuna BARBAKADZE, Witold BROSTOW, Tea DATASHVILI, Osman GENCEL, Nodar LEKISHVILI, Erna LEKVEISHVILI Department of Chemistry, Ivane Javahishvili University

Keywords:

petroleum characterization, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, maleic anhydride, separation, photo-adducts, petroleum products.

Abstract

A novel method of isolation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from three Georgian petroleum fields has been
developed. PAHs are classified as carcinogenic compounds and monitored worldwide in a wide range of environments
including drinking water, waste water, furnace emissions, soil, hazardous waste extracts and in air over major cities. Our
method is a combination of photo-chemical condensation of petroleum PAHs via reaction with maleic anhydride,
followed by photodecomposition of resulting photo-adducts. Extraction with gas-liquid chromatography constitutes a
final step for isolating narrow fractions of phenanthrene, naphthalene and benzene. Gas-liquid chromatography, mass
spectrometry, chromato-mass spectrometry and spectrofluorimetry were used to analyze individual compounds. Our
method of isolation of PAHs can be successfully used for crude petroleum, petroleum fractions and for petroleumderived
materials – in spite of differences in their compositions.

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Published

2010-06-10

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2010)

Section

TESTING AND ANALYSIS OF MATERIALS

License

 

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