A dynamic 1H NMR-based method for the estimation of olefin content in
all cracked fuel range products, in general, and in gasoline/naphtha
streams, in particular, irrespective of types and composition of olefins
and boiling range of samples has been developed. This is in continuation
of our earlier works where two methods were described for the determination
of hydrocarbon types in straight-run gasoline (no olefins) and cracked
full range gasoline/naphtha (with olefins). The average absolute number
of unsaturated hydrogen (H) in the olefinic region
(4.4–6.5 ppm) was directly estimated with the help of a 1H NMR spectrum using dynamic variables in terms of differential
population of various kinds of olefins. The average alkyl chain length
(n) was estimated by various methods including 13C NMR and carbon number distribution by a gas chromatography-based
detailed hydrocarbon analyzer [DHA, ASTM D6730-01(2016)] and simulated
distillation [ASTM D2887-16a]
data. The percentage of unsaturated hydrogen (% UH) in an average
olefin was then obtained providing a multiplication factor (f
o) by which the weight percentage of olefin
is estimated using a normalized 1H NMR spectrum. The dynamic
estimation of H and n for each sample
removes the possibilities of errors in the estimation. The method
has efficiently been extended to coker kero and coker diesel range
products where there has been no method available for olefin estimation.
The method was validated by using DHA following ASTM D6730, by the
Reformulyzer-based ASTM D6839 method, and finally by fluorescent indicator
adsorption following ASTM D1319. All the methods were compared. Whereas
the proposed NMR method is extremely general, free from manual error,
the limitations of existing ASTM methods and the old NMR method vis
á vis a new NMR method are also discussed.