CLEARLY BETTER INFORMED – Agilent’s Information Pipeline

Coal-to-Chemical Process Gas

As oil prices continue to climb, coal is becoming more attractive as a feedstock for the chemical industry – especially in countries where it is abundant. Because there is a high demand for propylene and ethylene, interest in coal-to-olefins (CTO) in particular is growing. Researchers are currently attempting to develop high-efficiency catalysts and processes that will optimize conditions for analyzing the components in coal-to-chemical process gas and maximizing olefin yields.

Peak identification
for all figures

CO/air
Methane
Carbon dioxide
Ethylene
Ethane
Hydrogen sulfide
Propylene
Propane
Dimethyl ether
Methanol
Butylene
Butane

Chromatogram of a gas mix using an Agilent GC/TCD system and Agilent J&W HP-PLOT Q PT column.

TIC of gas mix using an Agilent GC/MSD system and Agilent J&W HP-PLOT Q PT column.

Chromatogram of a gas mix using an Agilent GC/TCD system and Agilent J&W HP-PLOT U PT column.

TIC of gas mix using an Agilent GC/MSD system and Agilent J&W HP-PLOT U PT column.

Because separating polar and nonpolar compounds is very important for this research, Application Note 5991-2205EN evaluates Agilent J&W HP-PLOT Q PT and HP-PLOT U PT GC columns for coal-to-chemical process gas analysis by GC/TCD and GC/MS detection. HP-PLOT U PT columns provided excellent peak shapes for the target compounds, especially for polar compounds such as methanol and hydrogen sulfide. HP-PLOT Q PT columns were well able to separate polar and nonpolar compounds. GC/MS with an HP-PLOT Q PT column is a useful system for further research of process monitoring or catalyst evaluation.

Additional Resources

5991-1549EN Agilent J&W PoraBOND Q PT Analyzes Oxygenates in Mixed C4 Hydrocarbon Streams by GC/FID and GC/MSD
5991-1441EN Analysis of Organic Acids and Alcohols Using an Agilent J&W Ultra Inert GC Column
5989-7623EN Fast Analysis of Aromatic Solvent with 0.18 mm I.D. GC column
5990-4493EN An Alternative Application for a Highly Oxygen-Selective Capillary GC Plot Column
5991-0931EN Detailed Hydrocarbon Analysis in Spark Ignition Fuels by ASTM D6730-1
5991-1323EN Natural Gas Analysis: A Simplified Approach for the Analysis of Permanent Gases and Hydrocarbons in Natural Gas by Capillary Chromatography and Deans Switch
5990-9432EN GC/MS Analysis of Trace Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) in Jet Fuel Using Energy Institute Method IP585