APPLICABILITY OF REVERSED-PHASE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR THE SPECIATION OF VANADYL AND NICKEL METALLOPORPHYRINS IN OIL EXTRACTS

Gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography was examined with a view to using it as a separation technique for the speciation of vanadyl and nickel porphyrins in oil extracts. Poor separations were obtained when precipitation of the sample constituents occurred in the starting mobile phase. The reasons for the precipitation phenomena were found to be highly complex. Mixed crystal formation, slow dissolution kinetics and saturation may influence the elution behaviour of species present in the oil extracts. When precipitation was avoided the separation of the vanadyl porphyrins was significantly improved. Thus far, no satisfactory separations have been obtained for the nickel porphyrinic species. Although the occurrence of precipitation of the extracts hinders the distinct speciation of metalloporphyrins with reversed phase chromatography, the precipitation/dissolution phenomena showed some interesting features as a clean-up step for diluted crude oil samples and oil fractions. © 1990 Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn Verlagsgesellschaft mbH.