Portable Analytical Instrumentation for Instantaneous Real-Time Measurement of Chemical Elements in Raw Petroleum and Refinery Products

Chemical composition of feedstock petroleum affects the refining methods to produce fuels and other products. Intermediate and final refinery products as well as petrochemical products must be analyzed to meet regulations, required specifications and to provide certificates. Traditional chemical analysis is based on a multitude (> 100) of the ASTM standard methods but they are slow, laborious, expensive, and each of them is suitable only for one or very few elements. The multi- element analysis can be performed by ICP-OES, but it requires acidic digestion of samples, an evacuated spectrometer with a pump, a flow of high-purity argon, quartz/glassware and other consumables. Sample preparation takes long time. Acids are costly and dangerous, thus require personnel safety training, drills and emergency proceedings. Hazardous chemical waste must be disposed after the ICP measurement. With current low oil prices, advanced data collection and real-time analysis is pursued because it will reduce cost, improve efficiency, and enhance safety without huge capital outlays for refineries. We will develop a multi-purpose LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) instrument for rapid chemical analysis without dissolving the samples, directly in air or a gas flow. We use instantaneous laser ablation of the petroleum mist aspirated into a small chamber. LIBS yields real- time information on chemical composition. The speed of the LIBS analysis cannot be matched by any other available technology. This will enable precisely controlled processes by monitoring chemical data at various stages of refining. This is a "green" technology that utilizes low power (<400W), does not require consumables and generates no waste. The ability of LIBS to analyze both liquid and solid samples with high sensitivity for a large number of elements was demonstrated. The components for an alpha prototype were identified. To develop a ruggedized multi-purpose alpha prototype for refineries as a cost- effective tool, instantly analyzing both solid and liquid samples of any viscosity, without use of acids. Development of a compact transportable LIBS instrument for analysis of any type of samples with the potential of using bleed valving and side-stream feeding for continuous autosampling from refining equipment and pipelines. Benefits of this technique are rapid and direct chemical analysis without dissolution and/or deep evacuation of samples (as currently required). High-volume refinery business created a demand for real-time metrology and analysis. Our technology substantially shortens the time for analysis. It will enable prompt (automatic) decisions for the refining process control and optimization. A single LIBS instrument can analyze all types of samples at lower cost of operation than the current cost. We will provide a crucial tool to improve efficiency and quality of the refinery manufacturing. It will be also useful in other fields (metallurgy, geology, ecology) where rapid chemical analysis is necessary. Eventually, it will be accepted by other industries as a less expensive and "green" alternative to the present-day acidic digestion analytical technologies.