Methods of analyzing crude oil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019137473-A1
Application number	US-201816232574-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	May 9, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention generally relates to methods of analyzing crude oil. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve obtaining a crude oil sample, and subjecting the crude oil sample to mass spectrometry analysis. In certain embodiments, the method is performed without any sample pre-purification steps.

First claim

1 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A method for analyzing a crude oil sample, the method comprising:
obtaining a crude oil sample from an oil pipeline, wherein the crude oil sample comprises a non-naturally occurring substance; introducing the crude oil sample to a porous paper substrate without any intervening sample purification steps; applying solvent and voltage to the crude oil sample on the substrate to generate ions of the non-naturally occurring substance directly and only from the crude oil sample, wherein the applying step is conducted without an external heat source; and analyzing the ions using a mass spectrometer.

22 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the mass spectrometer is selected from the group consisting of a bench-top mass spectrometer and a miniature mass spectrometer.

23 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the analyte non-naturally occurring substance in the crude oil is a corrosion inhibitor.

24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor comprises at least one alkyl ammonium salt.

25 . The method according to claim 24 , wherein the alkyl ammonium salt is selected from the group consisting of tetradodecylammonium bromide, benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride, and a combination thereof.

26 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the mass spectrometer is coupled with a discontinuous atmospheric pressure interface.

27 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the solvent comprises a mixture of methanol and acetonitrile.

28 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the porous substrate is paper.

29 . The method according to claim 28 , wherein the paper is filter paper.

30 . The method according to claim 28 , wherein the paper tapers to a tip.

31 . A method for quantifying a corrosion inhibitor in crude oil, the method comprising:
obtaining a crude oil sample comprising a corrosion inhibitor, wherein the crude oil sample is from an oil pipeline; subjecting the crude oil sample to mass spectrometry analysis without any sample pre-purification steps, wherein the mass spectrometry analysis comprises introducing the crude oil sample to a paper substrate and applying solvent and voltage to the crude oil sample on the substrate to generate ions of the corrosion inhibitor directly and only from the crude oil sample, wherein the applying step is conducted without an external heat source; and quantifying the corrosion inhibitor in the crude oil sample based on results of the mass spectrometry analysis.

32 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the mass spectrometer is selected from the group consisting of a bench-top mass spectrometer and a miniature mass spectrometer.

33 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the corrosion inhibitor comprises at least one alkyl ammonium salt.

34 . The method according to claim 33 , wherein the alkyl ammonium salt is selected from the group consisting of tetradodecylammonium bromide, benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride, and a combination thereof.

35 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the mass spectrometer is coupled with a discontinuous atmospheric pressure interface.

36 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the solvent comprises a mixture of methanol and acetonitrile.

37 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the porous substrate is paper.

38 . The method according to claim 37 , wherein the paper is filter paper.

39 . The method according to claim 38 , wherein the paper tapers to a tip.

40 . The method according to claim 38 , wherein the paper comprises an internal standard.

Assignees

• Purdue Research Foundation

Inventors

• Cooks Robert Graham
• Jjunju Fred Paul Mark
• Li Anyin
• Roqan Iman S

Classifications

• H01J49/164

  Laser desorption/ionisation, e.g. matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation [MALDI] (sample holders H01J49/0418) · CPC title

• G01N33/2823 Primary

  Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures · CPC title

• H01J49/0445

  with means for introducing as a spray, a jet or an aerosol (electrospray ion sources H01J49/165) · CPC title

• H01J49/0031

  Step by step routines describing the use of the apparatus (H01J49/0081 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01J49/168

  field ionisation, e.g. corona discharge (atmospheric pressure corona discharge per se H01T19/00) · CPC title