SPECTROSCOPIC DETERMINATION OF CARBON IN AROMATIC RINGS IN PETROLEUM KEROSENES

On the basis of the composition of aromatic carbon in the petroleum kerosenes being exclusively mono and di-ring systems; which absorb UV light in a distinct region; the slope of the plot of the total absorbance in the region 250 to 290 nm Vs known concentration of authentic model kerosene mixture, may be utilized to determine the percentage of carbon in aromatic rings in a sample kerosene.

The area under the aromatic envelope curve ; whether expressed as a function of direct instrumental measurements of the total absorbance at = 250, 260,270,280 and 290 nm, or actually traced and evaluated; of a 1 ml kerosene sample dissolved in 500 ml iso- propyl alcohol, enables the estimation of the percentage of carbon in aromatic rings ( %CA ) using a mathematically derived expression for this purpose. This spectroscopic method was applied to determine % CA in Libyan kerosene samples, sequentially subjected to aromatic carbon depletion by adsorbents.