FT-Raman and photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy of Syncrude heavy gas oil distillation fractions

FT-Raman and photoacoustic (PA) infrared spectra of six distillation fractions derived from Syncrude heavy gas oil (HGO), which has a boiling range from 343 to 524 degrees C, were analyzed in detail in this study. Most of the information on the fingerprint region (200-1,800 cm(-1)) is provided by the FT-Raman spectra, which display approximately 30 bands that are assignable to functional groups in alkanes or aromatics. Monocyclic, bicyclic and tricyclic aromatics in the six fractions were also monitored using bands in this region. The C-H stretching region in both the FT-Raman and PA infrared spectra of the HGO distillation fractions was analyzed according to a curve-fitting algorithm used in previous investigations of samples with lower boiling points. The PA spectra of the HGO fractions were also analyzed by integration. The curve-fitting results show that the frequencies of the 11 Raman and 8 infrared bands used to model the aliphatic (approximately 2,775-3,000 cm(-1)) parts of the respective spectra are approximately constant across the entire HGO boiling range. These band positions are consistent with the results obtained in earlier studies of other distillation fractions obtained from Syncrude sweet blend. Both curve-fitting and integration show that the respective proportions of CH(2) and CH(3) groups do not vary significantly within the HGO region.