MINERAL EFFECTS ON THE PYROLYSIS-FIELD IONIZATION MASS-SPECTROMETRY OF FULVIC-ACID

Fulvic acid (FA), physical mixtures of FA with quartz, Na-montmorillon ite, and kaolinite, and FA-Na-montmorillonite and FA-kaolinite complex es were analyzed by pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-F IMS). Use of this method made it possible to detect the following six major groups of FA components: carbohydrates, phenols, lignins, lipids , alkylaromatics, and N compounds, and to determine how the thermal ev olution of these components was affected by the presence of minerals d uring pyrolysis. The thermal evolution of the six major FA components was delayed by the FA-mineral mixtures but substantial retention of sp ecific groups of FA components was shown only in the FA-clay complexes . Thus, FA components retained by the clays in FA-clay complexes were more thermostable than those in physical mixtures with FA. Pyrolysis-f ield ionization mass spectrometry was found to have considerable poten tial for enhancing our understanding of the effects of the presence of minerals on the thermal behavior of FA.