Rapid gas analyses for the investigation of spontaneous combustion using capillary gas chromatography

A simple and fast but sensitive and precise gas chromatographic method is described for the quantitative determination of O(2), N(2), CO, CO(2), C1 and C2-hydrocarbons for coal research. Gas analyses are necessary to obtain parameters for modelling spontaneous combustion and to predict long term coal behaviour. The method is based on a single PLOT-type capillary column in a single channel gas chromatograph. Using a micro-volume TCD coupled in series with a FID detector containing a capillary methanizer it is possible to determine high and trace level gases simultaneously. Trace quantities of CO and CO(2) can be determined with a single analysis and the detection limits are improved significantly using the capillary methanizer. The detection limit of the described method is approximately ten parts per million CO(2) and one part per million CO. Using the same instrument configuration the O(2)/N(2) ratios (major components), as parameter for coal reactivity, are also determined. The proposed approach is restricted to the determination of gases evolved during coal studies and the application to other gas mixtures is not considered.     

A novel process for CO2/CH4 gas separation on activated carbon fibers--electric swing adsorption

Equilibrium and breakthrough adsorptions on activated carbon fibers (ACF) were conducted for CO2 and CH4 gas mixtures and the selective separation of CO2 was demonstrated. An electric swing adsorption process (ESA) was exploited to effect the rapid desorption of adsorbed gas at atmospheric pressure. Also, the relationship between the electrical behavior and desorption characteristics of ACF is discussed. In a single component adsorption experiment, the amount of adsorbed CO2 reached up to 40 mg/g-ACF, twice as much as that of adsorbed CH4. Therefore, the separation factor, defined as the ratio of adsorbed CO2 to adsorbed CH4, was 2.0. Multicomponent experiments showed a higher separation factor of 5.2, owing to a roll-up phenomenon. The temperature increase is not linearly proportionate to the power input, while the passage of higher electrical voltage (30 V) caused the ACF temperature to exceed 200 degrees C within 30 s. CO2 desorption at low voltage was well accomplished by heating the ACF to temperatures <60 degrees C. An ACF adsorption bed regenerated with ESA showed a constant regeneration efficiency of over 85% with a regular breakthrough curve. The ESA method increased desorption efficiency by over 20%, compared with the vacuum method.     

Characterization and catalytic performance of CeO2-Co/SiO2 catalyst for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis using nitrogen-diluted synthesis gas over a laboratory scale fixed-bed reactor

The surface species of CO hydrogenation on CeO2-Co/SiO2 catalyst were investigated using the techniques of temperature programmed reaction and transient response method. The results indicated that the formation of H2O and CO2 was the competitive reaction for the surface oxygen species, CH4 was produced via the hydrogenation of carbon species step by step, and C2 products were formed by the polymerization of surface-active carbon species （-CH2-）. Hydrogen assisted the dissociation of CO. The hydrogenation of surface carbon species was the rate-limiting step in the hydrogenation of CO over CeO2-Co/SiO2 catalyst. The investigation of total pressure, gas hourly space velocity （GHSV）, and product distribution using nitrogen-rich synthesis gas as feedstock over a laboratory scale fixed-bed reactor indicated that total pressure and GHSV had a significant effect on the catalytic performance of CeO2-Co/SiO2 catalyst. The removal of heat and control of the reaction temperature were extremely critical steps, which required lower GHSV and appropriate CO conversion to avoid the deactivation of the catalyst. The feedstock of nitrogen-rich synthesis gas was favorable to increase the conversion of CO, but there was a shift of product distribution toward the light hydrocarbon. The nitrogen-rich synthesis gas was feasible for F-T synthesis for the utilization of remote natural gas.     

A solid molecular basket sorbent for CO2 capture from gas streams with low CO2 concentration under ambient conditions

In this paper, a solid molecular basket sorbent, 50 wt% PEI/SBA-15, was studied for CO(2) capture from gas streams with low CO(2) concentration under ambient conditions. The sorbent was able to effectively and selectively capture CO(2) from a gas stream containing 1% CO(2) at 75 °C, with a breakthrough and saturation capacity of 63.1 and 66.7 mg g(-1), respectively, and a selectivity of 14 for CO(2)/CO and 185 for CO(2)/Ar. The sorption performance of the sorbent was influenced greatly by the operating temperature. The CO(2)-TPD study showed that the sorbent could be regenerated under mild conditions (50-110 °C) and was stable in the cyclic operations for at least 20 cycles. Furthermore, the possibility for CO(2) capture from air using the PEI/SBA-15 sorbent was studied by FTIR and proved by TPD. A capacity of 22.5 mg g(-1) was attained at 75 °C via a TPD method using a simulated air with 400 ppmv CO(2) in N(2).     

Pt-Rh/CeZrYLa+LaAl催化剂用于理论空燃比天然气汽车尾气净化

采用共沉淀法制备了CeZrYLa+LaAl纳米复合载体,以三种方法制备了一系列Pt-Rh/CeZrYLa+LaAl催化剂.对所制样品进行了N2吸附-脱附、粉末X射线衍射、X射线光电子能谱和H2程序升温还原的表征.并考察了三种方法所制得催化剂的理论空燃比天然气汽车尾气净化性能.结果表明,三个催化剂的活性顺序为Cat3≈ Cat2> Cat1,其中Cat3具有最低的CO和NO起燃温度(T50),分别为114oC和149 oC,最低的CH4和CO完全转化温度(T90),分别为398 oC和179 oC,以及最佳的CH4和CO温度特性,ΔT (T90–T50)值分别为34 oC和65 oC. Cat2具有最低的CH4起燃温度(342°C)和最低的NO完全转化温度(174°C). Cat1具有最差的转化活性,说明物理混合法制备的催化剂(Cat3和Cat2)性能优于共浸渍法制备的催化剂(Cat1).这是由于物理混合法制备的催化剂, Pt和Rh均匀分散在载体表面,两者物理接触共同参与CH4/CO/NO三种污染物的转化.相反,共浸渍法制备的催化剂, Pt和Rh之间存在较强的相互作用,改变了Pt的电子状态,而且形成了表面Pt富集的Pt-Rh双金属颗粒覆盖了Rh活性位,从而降低催化活性;同时,对于通过物理混合法并进一步添加助剂所制备的Cat3, XRD结果显示助剂Zr4+进入了铈锆固溶体晶格,产生晶格缺陷; XPS结果显示Cat3具有最高的Ce3+/Ce比例.这些都有利于提高催化剂的氧流动性,从而提高催化剂活性并拓宽空燃比窗口.     

Theoretical and experimental correlations of gas dissolution, diffusion, and thermodynamic properties in determination of gas permeability and selectivity in supported ionic liquid membranes

Supported ionic liquid membranes (SILMs) has the potential to be a new technological platform for gas/organic vapour separation because of the unique non-volatile nature and discriminating gas dissolution properties of room temperature ionic liquids (ILs). This work starts with an examination of gas dissolution and transport properties in bulk imidazulium cation based ionic liquids [C(n)mim][NTf2] (n=2.4, 6, 8.10) from simple gas H(2), N(2), to polar CO(2), and C(2)H(6), leading to a further analysis of how gas dissolution and diffusion are influenced by molecular specific gas-SILMs interactions, reflected by differences in gas dissolution enthalpy and entropy. These effects were elucidated again during gas permeation studies by examining how changes in these properties and molecular specific interactions work together to cause deviations from conventional solution-diffusion theory and their impact on some remarkably contrasting gas perm-selectivity performance. The experimental perm-selectivity for all tested gases showed varied and contrasting deviation from the solution-diffusion, depending on specific gas-IL combinations. It transpires permeation for simpler non-polar gases (H(2), N(2)) is diffusion controlled, but strong molecular specific gas-ILs interactions led to a different permeation and selectivity performance for C(2)H(6) and CO(2). With exothermic dissolution enthalpy and large order disruptive entropy, C(2)H(6) displayed the fastest permeation rate at increased gas phase pressure in spite of its smallest diffusivity among the tested gases. The C(2)H(6) gas molecules "peg" on the side alkyl chain on the imidazulium cation at low concentration, and are well dispersed in the ionic liquids phase at high concentration. On the other hand strong CO(2)-ILs affinity resulted in a more prolonged "residence time" for the gas molecule, typified by reversed CO(2)/N(2) selectivity and slowest CO(2) transport despite CO(2) possess the highest solubility and comparable diffusivity in the ionic liquids. The unique transport and dissolution behaviour of CO(2) are further exploited by examining the residing state of CO(2) molecules in the ionic liquid phase, which leads to a hypothesis of a condensing and holding capacity of ILs towards CO(2), which provide an explanation to slower CO(2) transport through the SILMs. The pressure related exponential increase in permeations rate is also analysed which suggests a typical concentration dependent diffusion rate at high gas concentration under increased gas feed pressure. Finally the strong influence of discriminating and molecular specific gas-ILs interactions on gas perm-selectivity performance points to future specific design of ionic liquids for targeted gas separations.     

Removal of high concentration CO2 from natural gas at elevated pressure via absorption process in packed column

Carbon dioxide (CO2) removal is an essential step in natural gas (NG) processing to provide high quality gas stream products and minimize operational difficulties. This preliminary study aims to investigate the removal of CO2 at high concentration level from the mixture of CO2-NG gas stream at elevated pressure via absorption process. This is to explore the possibility of exploring high CO2 content natural gas reserves by treatment at offshore platform. A mixed amine solvent, Stonvent-II, was used for the absorption of approximately 75 vol% CO2 in CO2-NG stream at a pressure of 10 barg. The initial solvent temperature was varied in order to study the impact of initial temperature on the absorption performance. Preliminary study at temperatures of 35°C and 45°C indicates that Stonvent-II was able to perform almost 100% removal of CO2 under both conditions. However, the CO2 absorption effect took place faster when the initial liquid temperature was lower. This is because when the initial liquid temperature is high, the temperature increase in the packing bed caused by the reaction heat is high which impacts the efficiency of absorption negatively.     

Measurement of 13C and 15N isotope labeling by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry to study amino acid fluxes in a plant-microbe symbiotic association

We have developed a method based on a double labeling with stable isotopes and gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analyses to study amino acid exchange in a symbiotic plant-microbe association. Isotopic precision was studied for 21 standards including 15 amino acid derivatives, three N-protected amino acid methyl esters, three amines and one international standard. High correlations were observed between the δ(13)C and δ(15)N values obtained by GC/C/IRMS and those obtained by an elemental analyzer (EA) coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (R(2) = 0.9868 and 0.9992, respectively). The mean precision measured was 0.04‰ for δ(13)C and 0.28‰ for δ(15)N (n = 15). This method was applied in vivo to the symbiotic relationship between alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and N(2)-fixing bacteria. Plants were simultaneously labeled over 10 days with (13)C-depleted CO(2) ((12)CO(2)), which was assimilated through photosynthesis by leaves, and (15)N(2) fixed via nodules. Subsequently, the C and N isotope compositions (i.e. δ(13)C and δ(15)N) of free amino acids were analyzed in leaves and nodules by GC/C/IRMS. The method revealed the pattern of C and N exchange between leaves and nodules, highlighting that γ-aminobutanoic acid and glycine may represent an important form of C transport from leaves to the nodules. The results confirmed the validity, reliability and accuracy of the method for assessing C and N fluxes between plants and symbiotic bacteria and support the use of this technique in a broad range of metabolic and fluxomic studies.     

Determination of absorption efficiencies of carbon dioxide absorbents by gas chromatography

An HP-5880A gas chromatograph equipped with FID has been used to determine the efficiency of various CO(2) absorbents and some molecular sieves. Temperature, the CO(2) concentration in the absorbed gas mixture and space velocity of the gas mixture have effects on the absorption efficiency to different degrees, but temperature is a controlling factor. It has been established that in gas analysis the systematic errors arising from CO(2) impurities in the carrier gas are negligible when CO(2) is absorbed by carbon dioxide absorbents. Three methods for eliminating blank error are presented. The differential volume method through preconcentrating at the same time but at different flow-rates (DVMST) is proposed as the best method in preconcentration analysis. With the preconcentration technique, the minimum detectable level for CO(2) in a 10-litre sample is around 0.3 ppb(v/v).     

Capture of carbon dioxide from air and flue gas in the alkylamine-appended metal-organic framework mmen-Mg2(dobpdc)

Two new metal-organic frameworks, M(2)(dobpdc) (M = Zn (1), Mg (2); dobpdc(4-) = 4,4'-dioxido-3,3'-biphenyldicarboxylate), adopting an expanded MOF-74 structure type, were synthesized via solvothermal and microwave methods. Coordinatively unsaturated Mg(2+) cations lining the 18.4-?-diameter channels of 2 were functionalized with N,N'-dimethylethylenediamine (mmen) to afford Mg(2)(dobpdc)(mmen)(1.6)(H(2)O)(0.4) (mmen-Mg(2)(dobpdc)). This compound displays an exceptional capacity for CO(2) adsorption at low pressures, taking up 2.0 mmol/g (8.1 wt %) at 0.39 mbar and 25 °C, conditions relevant to removal of CO(2) from air, and 3.14 mmol/g (12.1 wt %) at 0.15 bar and 40 °C, conditions relevant to CO(2) capture from flue gas. Dynamic gas adsorption/desorption cycling experiments demonstrate that mmen-Mg(2)(dobpdc) can be regenerated upon repeated exposures to simulated air and flue gas mixtures, with cycling capacities of 1.05 mmol/g (4.4 wt %) after 1 h of exposure to flowing 390 ppm CO(2) in simulated air at 25 °C and 2.52 mmol/g (9.9 wt %) after 15 min of exposure to flowing 15% CO(2) in N(2) at 40 °C. The purity of the CO(2) removed from dry air and flue gas in these processes was estimated to be 96% and 98%, respectively. As a flue gas adsorbent, the regeneration energy was estimated through differential scanning calorimetry experiments to be 2.34 MJ/kg CO(2) adsorbed. Overall, the performance characteristics of mmen-Mg(2)(dobpdc) indicate it to be an exceptional new adsorbent for CO(2) capture, comparing favorably with both amine-grafted silicas and aqueous amine solutions.     

Highly porous CuO/MnO2 catalyst prepared by gas release-assisted technology and its enhancement of formaldehyde removal efficiency

Research on Chemical Intermediates - A porous CuO/MnO2 catalyst was synthesized by a gas release-assisted method. Due to the participation of gases (H2O, NH3, CO2) released from ammonia and...     

Efficient CO2 capture on low-cost silica gel modified by polyethyleneimine

In this work,a series of polyethyleneimine(PEI) functionalized commercial silica gel were prepared by wet impregnation method and used as CO 2 sorbent.The as-prepared sorbents were characterized by N 2 adsorption,FT-IR and SEM techniques.CO 2 capture was tested in a fixed bed reactor using a simulated flue gas containing 15.1% CO 2 in a temperature range of 25-100 C.The effects of sorption temperature and amine content on CO 2 uptake of the adsorbents were investigated.The silica gel with a 30 wt% PEI loading manifested the largest CO 2 uptake of 93.4 mg CO 2 /g adsorbent(equal to 311.3 mg CO 2 /g PEI) among the tested sorbents under the conditions of 15.1%(v/v) CO 2 in N 2 at 75 C and atmospheric pressure.Moreover,it was rather low-cost.In addition,the PEI-impregnated silica gel exhibited stable adsorption-desorption behavior during 5 consecutive test cycles.These results suggest that the PEI-impregnated silica gel is a promising and cost-effective sorbent for CO 2 capture from flue gas and other stationary sources with low CO 2 concentration.     

Assessing the stable carbon isotopic composition of intercellular CO2 in a CAM plant using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Most of the literature focused on internal CO(2) (Ci) determinations in plants has used indirect methods based on gas-exchange estimations. We have developed a new method based on the capture of internal air gas samples and their analysis by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). This method provided a direct measure of intercellular CO(2) concentrations combined with stable carbon isotopic composition in O. ficus-indica plants. Plants were grown at both ambient and elevated CO(2) concentration. During the day period, when the stomata are closed, the Ci was high and was very (13)C-enriched in both ambient and elevated CO(2)-grown plants, reflecting Rubisco's fractionation (this plant enzyme has been shown to discriminate by 29 per thousand, in vitro, against (13)CO(2)). Other enzyme fractionations involved in C metabolism in plants, such as carbonic anhydrase, could also be playing an important role in the diurnal delta(13)C enrichment of the Ci. During the night, when stomata are open, Ci concentrations were higher in elevated (and the corresponding delta(13)C values were more (13)C-depleted) than in ambient CO(2)-grown plants.     

The effects of transition metal complexes on the permeation of small gas molecules through cellulose acetate membranes

Cellulose acetate (CA) membranes containing RuCl₃·3H₂O and RhCl [P(C₆H₅)₃]₃ were prepared reproducibly. Such membranes, on treatment with CO, formed metal-carbonyl species at relatively low temperature. The Ru-carbonyls formed in CA were quite stable at 40°C in comparison with the Rh-carbonyl species and, interestingly, there was no permeation of CO gas through the ruthenium-containing CA membrane at 40°C. However, the permeation of other gas molecules, such as H₂, N₂ and O₂, through the same membrane was reduced only slightly, probably due to the cross-linking effect of the transition metal complexes in CA. It was found that essentially pure H₂ gas could be recovered from a 1: 1 mixture of H₂ and CO gases using ruthenium-containing cellulose acetate membranes.     

Microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Pt/SnO2 gas sensor for CO detection

In this paper, the Pt/SnO₂ nanostructures were prepared via a facile one-step microwave assisted hydrothermal route. The structure of the introduced Pt/SnO₂ and its gas-sensing properties toward CO were investigated. The results from the TEM test reveal that Pt grows on the SnO₂ nanostructure, which was not found for bulk in this situ method, constructing Pt/SnO₂. The results indicated that the sensor using 3.0 wt% Pt/SnO₂ to 100 ppm carbon monoxide performed a superior sensing properties compared to 1.5 wt% and 4.5 wt% Pt/SnO₂ at 225 °C. The response time of 3.0 wt% sensor is 16 s to 100 ppm CO at 225 °C. Such enhanced gas sensing performances could be attributed to the chemical and electrical factors. In view of chemical factors, the presence of Pt facilitates the surface reaction, which will improve the gas sensing properties. With respect to the electrical factors, the Pt/SnO₂ plays roles in increasing the sensor’s response due to its characteristic configuration. In addition, the one-step in situ microwave assisted process provides a promising and versatile choice for the preparation of gas sensing materials.     

Versatile inlet system for on-line compound-specific deltaD and delta13C gas chromatography-oxidation/reduction-isotope ratio mass spectrometry analysis of gaseous mixtures

Compound-specific deltaD and delta13C analyses of gas mixtures are useful indicators of geochemical and environmental factors. However, the relative concentrations of individual components in gas mixtures (e.g., H2, CO2, methane, ethane, propane, i-butane, n-butane) may vary over several orders of magnitude. The determination of hydrogen and carbon compound-specific stable isotope ratios requires that the hydrogen and carbon dioxide produced from each separated component has a concentration adjusted to match the dynamic range of the stable isotope mass spectrometer. We present a custom-built gas sampling and injection system (GASIS) linked with a Delta Plus XP mass spectrometer that provides flexibility, ease of operation, and economical use of small gas samples with wide ranges of analyte concentrations. The overall on-line GC-ox/red-IRMS (Gas Chromatography - oxidation/reduction - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) system consists of (i) a customized GASIS inlet system and (ii) two alternative reactors, namely an oxidative Cu-Ni-Pt reactor at 950 degrees C for production of CO2 and a reductive graphitized Al2O3 reactor at 1420 degrees C for production of H2. In addition, the system is equipped with (iii) a liquid nitrogen spray-cooling unit for cryo-GC-focusing at -20 degrees C, and (iv) a Nafion dryer for removal of water vapor from product CO2. The three injection loops of the GASIS inlet allow flexibility in the volume of injected analyte gas (e.g., from 0.06 to 500 microL) in order to measure reproducible deltaD and delta13C values for gases at concentrations ranging from 100% down to 10 ppm. We calibrate our GC-ox/red-IRMS system with two isotopically distinct methane references gases that are combusted off-line and characterized using dual-inlet IRMS.     

A new method for determining delta13C and deltaD simultaneously for CH4 by gas chromatography/continuous-flow isotope-ratio mass spectrometry

A continuous-flow technique has been developed to analyse the deltaD and delta(13)C values for CH(4) from gas samples, in a single run. This is achieved by splitting the sample gas stream and directing the streams simultaneously through a CuNiPt combustion reactor and an alumina pyrolysis reactor. The CO(2) from CH(4) combustion is trapped in a liquid nitrogen trap while the H(2) exiting the pyrolysis reactor is directed to the mass spectrometer for deltaD(CH4) determination. The CO(2) is then sublimed and directed to the mass spectrometer for delta(13)C(CH4) determination. Sample runs take approximately 10 minutes. This technique gives accurate delta(13)C(CH4) results to within +/-0.3-0.5 per thousand and deltaD(CH4) results to within +/-2-5 per thousand. Injection volumes between 0.5 and 2.5 microL of CH(4), equivalent to between 20 and 100 nmol CH(4), are required for accurate delta(13)C and deltaD analyses, respectively, using sample injection into a split flow with a split ratio of 10. This method provides rapid, accurate and reproducible results on multiple sample runs and is, therefore, an ideal method for analysing natural gas samples from a variety of sources.     

Direct synthesis of dimethyl ether from synthesis gas over metal-pillared ilerites

The capability of metal (Cu, Zn)-pillared ilerites and metal oxide (CuO, ZnO)-impregnated metal-pillared ilerites for direct synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) from synthesis gas was explored. The metal-pillared ilerites were synthesized and characterized by XRD, BET, ICP-AES and SEM. The reaction was carried out in a fixed bed reactor with the prepared catalysts at different temperatures (200, 250, 300°C), 20 bar and H₂/CO ratio of 2. For CuO/Zn-ilerite catalyst, CO conversion was about 62% and selectivity to DME was about 89% at 250°C.     

Comparative study on electrochemical degradation of 4-chlorophenol by different Pd/C gas diffusion electrodes

Pd/C catalyst used for the Pd/C gas diffusion cathodes was prepared by hydrogen reduction method and formaldehyde reduction method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission elec- trode microcopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) tech- niques. The electrochemical degradation of 4-chlorophenol was investigated in the diaphragm elec- trolysis system, aerating firstly with hydrogen gas then with air, using three different kinds of gas dif- fusion cathode. The results indicated that the self-made Pd/C gas diffusion cathode can not only re- ductively dechlorinate 4-chlorophenols by aerating hydrogen gas, but also accelerate the two-electron reduction of O2 to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by aerating air. Therefore, the removal efficiency of 4-chlorophenol by using Pd/C gas diffusion cathode is better than that of the C/PTFE gas diffusion cathode (no catalyst). The catalytic activity of Pd/C catalyst prepared by hydrogen reduction method is higher than that prepared by formaldehyde reduction method. The stability of the Pd/C gas diffusion cathodes is good. Therefore, both the removal efficiency and the dechlorination degree of 4-chlorophenol reached about 100% after 60 min, and the removal efficiency of 4-chlorophenol in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the cathodic compartment reached 87.4% after 120 min.     

A gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry system for high-precision delta13C measurements of atmospheric methane extracted from ice core samples

Past atmospheric composition can be reconstructed by the analysis of air enclosures in polar ice cores which archive ancient air in decadal to centennial resolution. Due to the different carbon isotopic signatures of different methane sources high-precision measurements of delta13CH4 in ice cores provide clues about the global methane cycle in the past. We developed a highly automated (continuous-flow) gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) technique for ice core samples of approximately 200 g. The methane is melt-extracted using a purge-and-trap method, then separated from the main air constituents, combusted and measured as CO2 by a conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometer. One CO2 working standard, one CH4 and two air reference gases are used to identify potential sources of isotope fractionation within the entire sample preparation process and to enhance the stability, reproducibility and accuracy of the measurement. After correction for gravitational fractionation, pre-industrial air samples from Greenland ice (1831 +/- 40 years) show a delta13C(VPDB) of -49.54 +/- 0.13 per thousand and Antarctic samples (1530 +/- 25 years) show a delta13C(VPDB) of -48.00 +/- 0.12 per thousand in good agreement with published data.