Methods of analyzing crude oil

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020173976-A1
Application number	US-202016746120-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 17, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	Jun 4, 2020
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 for presence of a nitrogenous corrosion inhibitor, the method comprising:
obtaining a crude oil sample from an oil pipeline, wherein the crude oil sample comprises a quaternary ammonium salt; introducing the crude oil sample to a porous paper substrate; applying solvent and voltage to the crude oil sample on the substrate to generate ions of the quaternary ammonium salt; and analyzing the ions using a mass spectrometer to identify a nitrogenous corrosion inhibitor in the crude oil sample.

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 method is performed without any intervening sample purification steps between the obtaining and introducing steps and between the introducing and applying steps.

24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the applying step is conducted without an external heat source.

25 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the quaternary 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 nitrogenous corrosion inhibitor in crude oil, the method comprising:
obtaining a crude oil sample from an oil pipeline, wherein the crude oil sample comprises a quaternary ammonium salt; introducing the crude oil sample to a porous paper substrate; applying solvent and voltage to the crude oil sample on the substrate to generate ions of the quaternary ammonium salt; analyzing the ions using a mass spectrometer; and. quantifying the nitrogenous 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 method is performed without any intervening sample purification steps between the obtaining and introducing steps and between the introducing and applying steps.

34 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the quaternary 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

• H01J49/0445

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

• H01J49/168

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

• G01N30/724

  Nebulising, aerosol formation or ionisation (spraying or atomising in general B05B) · CPC title

• H01J49/04

  Arrangements for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed, e.g. vacuum locks; Arrangements for external adjustment of electron- or ion-optical components · CPC title