ONLINE GC-MS TECHNIQUES FOR MONITORING HIGH-PRESSURE CONVERSION REACTIONS

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry instruments were interfaced to hi gh-pressure flow-through microreactors to monitor the product formatio n on-line. Three types of instrumental setup are described illustratin g the versatility of this kind of coupling. The first example shows th e thermal and catalytic conversion of dibenzyl ether in solution under 115 bar hydrogen atmosphere. In the second application, thermal decom position of JP-7 jet fuel was carried out under supercritical conditio ns to study the gaseous product evolution. This system features the ap plication of a microbalance to monitor the weight of the total liquid sample plus products. The third system was designed to perform convers ion of solid sample (wood) in liquid/vapor environment. This reactor c an be applied to model two-step liquefaction processes with catalytic conversion of the primary products. All the three systems provide info rmation on the product distribution and kinetic profiles of the conver sion processes.