Compositional Analysis of Bitumen and Bitumen-Derived Products

Published: Journal of Chromatographic Science, Volume 34, Number 1, January 1996, pp. 20-26

Compositional Analysis of Bitumen and Bitumen-Derived Products
M. Subramanian, M.D. Deo, and F.V. Hanson

The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) procedures D2887 and D5307 are used for boiling range characterization of petroleum fractions up to 538°C (1000°F). The bitumens from the Uinta Basin (Utah) contain approximately 60.0 wt% material boiling above 538°C (1000°F); hence, the ASTM techniques leave major portions of the bitumens uncharacterized. A high-temperature chromatographic technique is developed to include a portion of the high-boiling-point compounds (greater than 538°C or 1000°F) in bitumen-derived heavy oils. A short 5-m glass capillary column is used to elute compounds with boiling points as high as 700°C (1292°F) (equivalent to C90). Analyses of Uinta Basin (Utah) bitumens and bitumen-derived extract phases and residues are reported using the modified procedure. The characterization of the samples is extended by 30–35 wt% using the proposed simulated distillation method.

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