Liquid transportation fuels in the middle distillate range contain thousands of hydrocarbons making the predictions and calculations of properties from composition a challenging process. We present a new approach of hydrogen content determination by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC×GC-FID) using a weighted average method. GC×GC-FID hydrogen determination precision was excellent (0.005 wt% repeatability). The method accuracy was evaluated by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique, which is non-biased, measures the H signal directly and was independently validated by controls in the current study. The hydrogen content (in the range of 12.72-15.54 wt%) in 28 fuel samples were determined using GC×GC-FID. Results were within ± 2% of those obtained via NMR. Owing to the fact that NMR is accepted as an accurate technique for hydrogen content determination, the GC×GC method proposed in this study can be considered precise and accurate.

Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Purdue Interdepartmental NMR Facility Purdue University West Lafayette 47907 IN USA

Department of Petroleum Technology and Alternative Fuels University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Prague 6 16628 Czech Republic

School of Engineering Technology Fuel Laboratory of Renewable Energy Purdue University West Lafayette 47907 IN USA

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