Determination of carbon C,CH, CH2 and CH3 group abundances in liquids derived from petroleum and coal using selected multiplet 13C n.m.r. spectroscopy

Selected, multiplet C n.m.r. spectra are obtained for three test samples deriving from petroleum and coal sources, by combining gated spin echo (GASPE) and conventional spin echo ¹³C n.m.r. procedures. Each selected multiplet spectrum contains resonances due to only one of the following groups: aromatic C or CH or aliphatic C, CH, CH₂orCH₃. In general artifacts contribute only minor intensity to individual spectra, with the separation between aliphatic CH and CH₃ spectra being the most difficult to achieve. Each spectrum can be integrated to yield the relative abundances of CH_n groups (n = 0 to 3). Selected multiplet ¹³C n.m.r. spectra provide a more detailed view of the component hydrocarbon groups in fossil-fuel derived materials than can be deduced from conventional ¹³C n.m.r. spectra.