Analytical techniques for high-mass materials: Method development

This chapter describes analytical chemical methods used to characterize high-mass materials found in liquids and tars from coal processing in crude petroleum fractions such as asphaltenes and in liquids from the conversion of biomass into liquid fuels. Methods described include size exclusion chromatography with different solvents, mass spectrometric method including laser desorption, nuclear magnetic resonance, fractionation techniques, vapour pressure osmometry, UV-fluorescence and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. Significant developments in these fields are described. Comparison with Fourier Transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) reveals significant shortcomings with that method in application to petroleum residues. The high-mass components of biomass tars have previously been ignored.