Skip to Main Content
Skip Nav Destination
ASTM Selected Technical Papers
Hydrocarbon Analysis
By
H. M. Smith
H. M. Smith
1
U. S. Bureau of Mines
,
Bartlesville, Okla. Chairman
, ASTM Committe D-2 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants
Search for other works by this author on:
ISBN-10:
0-8031-6620-6
ISBN:
978-0-8031-6620-2
No. of Pages:
426
Publisher:
ASTM International
Publication date:
1965

The sulfur-containing constituents of petroleum have been of interest and concern to the petroleum industry almost since its beginning. However, only within the last 15 years has any significant progress been made in the identification of these sulfur compounds. This paper presents methods used in the isolation and identification of sulfur compounds and lists, by type or class, the 141 individual compounds identified in four crude oils by the Bureau of Mines-Am. Petroleum Inst. Research Project 48. Based on available techniques and identifications accomplished, suggestions are made relative to methods needed in future composition studies. The procedures described should have general application in the characterization of any crude oil.

1.
Eardly
A. J.
, “
Oil Seeps at Rozel Point
,” Special Studies, No. 5,
Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey
, June, 1963.
2.
Kaplow
E. J.
, “
Oxnard Oil Field
,” Summary of Operations, California Oil Fields, 33rd Annual Report,
State Oil and Gas Supervisor, Dept. of Natural Resources, Oil and Gas Div.
, Vol.
33
, No.
2
, July–Dec, 1947, pp. 16–20.
3.
Rall
H. T.
,
Thompson
C. J.
,
Coleman
H. J.
, and
Hopkins
R. L.
, “
Sulfur Compounds in Petroleum
,”
Proceedings, Am. Petroleum Inst.
 0099-3301, Vol.
42
, Section VIII,
1962
, pp. 19–27.
4.
Hale
J. H.
,
Thompson
C. J.
,
Barker
M. G.
,
Smith
H. M.
, and
Ball
J. S.
, “
Distribution and Type of Sulfur Compounds in Straight-Run Naphthas
,”
Analytical Chemistry
 0003-2700, Vol.
23
,
1951
, pp. 287–293.
5.
Smith
N. A. C.
,
Smith
H. M.
,
Blade
O. C.
, and
Garton
E. L.
, “
The Bureau of Mines Method for the Analysis of Crude Petroleum; I. The Analytical Method
,” Bulletin 490,
U.S. Bureau of Mines
,
1951
.
6.
Mills
I. W.
,
Hirschler
A. E.
, and
Kurtz
,
S.S.
 Jr.
, “
Molecular Weight-Physical Property Correlation for Petroleum Fractions
,”
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
 0019-7866, Vol.
38
,
1946
, pp. 442–450.
7.
Mabery
C. F.
and
Smith
A. W.
,“
On the Composition of Certain Petroleum Oils and of Refining Residues
,”
Am. Chemical Journal
, Vol.
13
,
1891
, pp. 232–243.
8.
Mabery
C. F.
and
Quoyle
W. O.
, “
On the Composition of Petroleum. V - Sulfur Compounds in Canadian Petroleum
,”
Journal, Soc. Chemical Industry
 0368-4075, Vol.
19
,
1900
, pp. 505–506;
Mabery
C. F.
and
Quoyle
W. O.
, “
On the Composition of Petroleum. The Sulfur Compounds and Unsaturated Hydrocarbons in Canadian Petroleum
, “
Am. Chemical Journal
, Vol.
35
,
1906
, pp. 404–432.
9.
Rall
H. T.
,
Hopkins
R. L.
,
Thompson
C.J.
, and
Coleman
H.J.
, “
Some Chemical and Physical Techniques for Separation and Analysis of Sulfur Compounds in Petroleum
,”
Proceedings, Am. Petroleum Inst.
 0099-3301, Vol.
42
, Section VIII,
1962
, pp. 46–50.
10.
Thompson
C. J.
,
Coleman
H. J.
,
Rall
H. T.
, and
Smith
H. M.
, “
Separation of Sulfur Compounds from Petroleum
,”
Analytical Chemistry
 0003-2700, Vol.
27
,
1955
, pp. 175–185.
11.
Coleman
H. J.
,
Thompson
C. J.
,
Hopkins
R. L.
,
Foster
N. G.
,
Whisman
M. L.
, and
Richardson
D. M.
, “
Identification of Benzo[b]thiophene and Its 2- and 3-Methyl Homologues in Wasson, Texas, Crude Oil
,”
Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data
 0021-9568, Vol.
6
,
1961
, pp. 464–468.
12.
Thompson
C. J.
,
Coleman
H. J.
,
Ward
C. C.
, and
Rall
H. T.
, “
Separation of Organic Sulfur Compounds by Liquid Thermal Diffusion
,”
Analytical Chemistry
 0003-2700, Vol.
29
,
1957
, pp. 1601–1611.
13.
Donnell
C. K.
and
Kennedy
R. M.
, “
Concentric-Tube Fractionating Columns
,”
Proceedings, Am. Petroleum Inst.
 0099-3301, Vol.
26
, Sec. III,
1946
, pp. 23–31.
14.
Thompson
C. J.
and
Coleman
H. J.
, “
Unique Unit Handles Micro Fractions
,”
Petroleum Processing
, Vol.
9
,
1954
, pp. 1764–1765.
15.
Coleman
H. J.
,
Thompson
C. J.
,
Hopkins
R. L.
, and
Rall
H. T.
, “
Identification of Thiols in a Wasson, Texas, Crude Oil Distillate Boiling from 111° to 150° C
,”
Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data
 0021-9568, Vol.
10
,
1965
, pp. 80–84.
16.
Hopkins
R. L.
and
Smith
H. M.
, “
Extraction and Recovery of Thiols from Petroleum Distillates
,”
Analytical Chemistry
 0003-2700, Vol.
26
,
1954
, pp. 206–207.
17.
Hopkins
R. L.
,
Coleman
H. J.
,
Thompson
C. J.
, and
Rall
H. T.
, “
Extraction of Sulfides from Petroleum Fractions by Conversion to Sulfonium Salts
,” Report of Investigations 6458,
U.S. Bureau of Mines
,
1964
.
18.
Birch
A. J.
and
Nasipuri
D.
, “
Reaction Mechanisms in Reductions by Metal-Ammonia Solutions
,”
Tetrahedron
 0040-4020, Vol.
6
,
1959
, pp. 148–153.
19.
Thompson
C. J.
,
Coleman
H. J.
,
Hopkins
R. L.
, and
Rall
H. T.
, “
Identification of Some Chain Sulfides in a Wasson, Texas, Crude Oil Distillate Boiling from 111° to 150° C
,”
Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data
 0021-9568, Vol.
9
,
1964
, pp. 473–479.
20.
Thompson
C. J.
,
Coleman
H. J.
,
Ward
C. C.
, and
Rall
H. T.
, “
Desulfurization as a Method of Identifying Sulfur Compounds
,”
Analytical Chemistry
 0003-2700, Vol.
32
,
1960
, pp. 424–430.
21.
Brown
R. H.
and
Meyerson
S.
, “
Cyclic Sulfides in a Petroleum Distillate
,”
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
 0019-7866, Vol.
44
,
1952
, pp. 2620–2623.
22.
Lumpkin
H. E.
, “
Analysis of a Trinuclear Aromatic Petroleum Fraction by High Mass Spectrometry
, ”
Analytical Chemistry
 0003-2700, Vol.
36
,
1964
, pp. 2399–2401.
23.
Hoog
H.
, “
Catalytic Hydro-desulfurization of Gas Oil
,”
Recueil Des Travaux Chimiques Des Pays-Bas
 0165-0513, Vol.
69
,
1950
, pp. 1289–1296.
24.
Gruse
W. A.
and
Stevens
D. R.
, The Chemical Technology of Petroleum, 2d Edition,
McGraw-Hill Book Co.
, New York, N.Y.,
1942
, p. 110.
25.
Coleman
H. J.
,
Thompson
C. J.
,
Rall
H. T.
, and
Smith
H. M.
, “
Thermal Stability of High-Sulfur Crude Oils
,”
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
 0019-7866, Vol.
45
,
1953
, pp. 2706–2710.
26.
Drushel
H. V.
,
Miller
J. F.
,
Hubis
W.
, and
Clark
R. O.
, “
The Polarographic Determination of Elemental Sulfur in Petroleum and Its Fractions
,”
Analytica Chimica Acta
 0003-2670, Vol.
15
,
1956
, pp. 394–400.
27.
Eccleston
B. H.
,
Morrison
M.
, and
Smith
H. M.
, “
Elemental Sulfur in Crude Oil
,”
Analytical Chemistry
 0003-2700, Vol.
24
,
1952
, pp. 1745–1748.
28.
Newton
J.W.
and
Larch
W. W.
, “
Distillation of Crane County Crude
,”
Oil and Gas Journal
 0030-1388, Vol.
27
,
07
03
1929
, pp. 100, 260, 262, 264.
29.
Am. Petroleum Inst.
, Petroleum Facts and Figures,
Am. Petroleum Inst.
, New York, N.Y.,
1963
, pp. 38–39.
30.
Birch
S. F.
 et al
, “
Sulfur Compounds in Kerosene Boiling Range of Middle East Crudes
,”
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
 0019-7866, Vol.
47
,
1955
, pp. 240–249;
Birch
S. F.
 et al
, “
Further Bridged Sulfur Compounds of the Kerosene Boiling Range of Middle East Distillates
,”
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry
 0019-7866, Engineering Data Series, Vol.
3
,
1958
, pp. 359–362;
Birch
S. F.
 et al
,“
Sulfur Compounds in the Kerosene Boiling Range of Middle East Distillates, Occurrence of a Bicyclic Thiophene and a Thienyl Sulfide
,”
Tetrahedron
 0040-4020, Vol.
7
,
1959
, pp. 311–318.
31.
Carruthers
W.
and
Douglas
A. G.
, “
Constituents of High-Boiling Petroleum Distillates. Part V. Some Condensed Thiophene Derivatives in a Kuwait Oil
,”
Journal, Chemical Soc.
 0368-1769,
1959
, pp. 2813–21;
Carruthers
W.
and
Douglas
A. G.
, “
Constituents of High-Boiling Petroleum Distillates. Part IX, 3,4,6,7-Tetramethyldibenzo-thiophen in a Kuwait Oil
,”
Journal, Chemical Soc.
 0368-1769,
1964
, pp. 4077–4078.
32.
Mair
B. J.
and
Martinez-Pico
J. L.
, “
Composition of the Trinuclear Aromatic Portion of the Heavy Gas Oil and Light Lubricating Distillates
,”
Proceedings, Am. Petroleum Inst.
 0099-3301, Vol.
42
, Section III,
1962
, pp. 173–185.
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this chapter.
Close Modal

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal