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Physics and analysis
The Physics and Analysis Division groups together most of IFP’s analytical resources. It develops expertise ranging from the application of standardized tests to describe the usage properties of petroleum products or materials, to the use of various techniques enabling their detailed structural characterization.
The division nurtures a network of external collaborators to access more specific techniques or major resources, such as the synchrotron. It has been ISO 9001 certified since 2003 for the development of analytical methods and the performance of petroleum product and material analyses.
The division has almost 80 staff, all working at the IFP-Lyon site in Solaize.
Its fields of expertise cover:
The main objectives of the research work carried out are:
- to improve the performance and reliability of tried and tested analytical methods,
- to develop or adapt new techniques and develop effective methodologies for the characterization of hydrocarbon, petroleum or related products and materials.
1. Petroleum products
Work in this field in recent years has been primarily guided by:
- research into methods to reduce analytical costs,
- changing product specifications related to environmental constraints,
- the requirements of kinetic modeling of processes.
The objective is to achieve a molecular description of families of compounds sometimes present in trace quantities in increasingly heavy oil cuts.
Examples of work carried out
- development of alternative laboratory or on-line methods to reduce operating costs and improve control of refining units,
- improvement of detection limits for catalyst poisons used in refining and petrochemical processes. Speciation of elements to improve impurity elimination processes,
- detailed analysis and relationships between composition and usage properties of fuels in the context of evolving environmental standards.
Example of two-dimensional gas chromatography development: GCxGC – ToF-MS
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Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Revue de l'IFP |
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2. Products resulting from biomass conversion
The use of biomass for the production of fuels is a major issue for the coming years. New technologies will be developed and improved in order to achieve this objective. It is necessary to have an accurate description of the different compounds produced during the conversion of biomass. A coherent set of analytical methods must be implemented to obtain the desired compositional information.
Examples of work carried out:
- development of analytical methodologies to study pyrolysis oils produced by the conversion of ligno-cellulose biomass,
- detailed analysis of vegetable oil esters of various origins for the production of biodiesel.
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Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Revue de l'IFP |
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3. Materials
The implementation of physical characterization techniques requires perfect knowledge of the measurement chain in order to be able to master the quantitative aspects of the applications and to improve the final performance of systems. Protocols for the preparation and study of samples must also be adapted to protect the information as much as possible during analysis. Finally, it is usually necessary to develop characterization methodologies based on several complementary techniques in order to determine relationships between the properties and structure of materials.
X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy
Examples of work carried out:
- improvement of signal quantification by X-ray microanalysis and XPS spectrometry applied to divided and porous solids,
- development of electronic microscopy and X-ray diffraction equipment and methods for in situ textural and structural characterization during preparation phases or in reactive medium,
- study of the acid-base properties of catalysts by NMR and IR spectroscopy of adsorbed probe molecules,
- fine description of the active metallic sites of solid catalysts by short-distance structural characterization (X-ray absorption spectrometry).
zeolite cristal by 3D microtomography
To find out more about the Physics and Analysis Division, you can consult a special issue of Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Revue de l'IFP called "Development of characterization techniques for petroleum products and materials" (vol.54, n°4, 1999), which gives an overview of the diversity of analytical issues tackled by the Division as well as the expertise it develops, and "Recent Advances in the Analysis of Catalysts and Petroleum Products" (vol. 62, n°1, 2007).
"Physico-Chemical Analysis of Industrial Catalysts" (writen by J. Lynch) published by Editions Technip in 2001, is a practical characterization manual, which also offers an overview of the various techniques the Division uses on these kinds of materials.
Further information
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Physico-Chemical Analysis of Industrial CatalystsA Practical Guide to CharacterisationJohn LYNCH Editions TECHNIP |