Mass Spectrometric Determination of the Aliphatic and Aromatic Content of a Hydrocarbon Mixture

摘要

A simplified mass spectrometric technique was devised for determining the aromatic content in hydrocarbon mixtures of the type that have been recovered from adsorptive carbon samplers exposed in the atmospheres of nuclear submarines. The method is based on the summation of ion currents at mass-to-charge ratios (m/e) of 27, 28, 28, 41, 43, and 57 for aliphatic hydrocarbons and 39, 51, 52, 77, 78, 91, 92, 105, 106, 119, 120, 133, and 134 for aromatic hydrocarbons. The mass spectrometric results agree reasonably well with the Fluorescence Indicator Adsorption analyses of the same samples. While, due primarily to cost and operational complexity, no available mass spectrometers are suitable for shipboard operation, future developments in the field of mass spectrometry should be carefully observed for advances that make such use possible. (Author)