Presentation Profile
Simulated Distillation of Oxygenated Fractions by Vacuum Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (VTGA
Main Author
Tao Wei - Chevron Technology Center
Abstract:
Accurate boiling point distributions are critical for refinery stream evaluation, unit design, and cut point control. Conventional GC-based simulated distillation methods struggle with oxygenate-rich streams due to incomplete elution and compound-dependent response factors. Vacuum thermal gravimetric analysis, or VTGA, offers an alternative approach for complex refinery matrices by deriving boiling distributions from mass loss under vacuum. VTGA is insensitive to compound count and chemical functionality. Results show pre-cracking VTGA data correlate well with ASTM D1160 distillation for vacuum gas oil materials and extend boiling range coverage to 1300 degrees Fahrenheit AEBP. VTGA offers a practical, complementary simulated distillation testing tool.
