Chemical class separation of shale oils by low pressure liquid chromatography on thermally-modified adsorbants

Abstract

Shale oils from Green River (USA) and Condor (Australia) were fractionated into compound classes by low pressure liquid chromatography on five columns in series containing successively less thermally-deactivated grades of alumina. No preliminary acidic and basic extractions were required, resulting in fewer polymeric artefacts than in other procedures. Irreversible adsorptive losses were minimized by the use of deactivated adsorbants and evaporative losses were minimized by the use of highly volatile solvents and small solvent volumes. Compounds identified include linear alkanes, isomeric linear alkenes, isoprenoid alkanes and alkenes, linear alkanonitriles, 2-, 3- and 4-alkenones, cyclopentanones, cyclohexanones, benzenes, styrenes, indans, indenes, 1-phenylalk-1-enes, naphthalenes, biphenyls, 3–5 ring aromatics, phenols, pyridines, quinolines, benzoquinolines, indoles, dihydroindoles and carbazoles. Particular compound classes may be isolated without performing a full chromatographic separation of all classes.