Abstract:
A quantitative method including separating a mixture of olefins, aromatics, and saturates by supercritical fluid chromatography to obtain an eluent stream that over a first time period contains a mixture of olefins and saturates, and over a second time period contains aromatics, and passing the eluent first to an ultraviolet absorption detector (UV). Importantly, the eluent is irradiated in the UV detector at a wavelength capable of producing an ultraviolet absorbance response of olefins that is independent of specific olefins present, and preferably is substantially similar to a mass detector response for olefins. From a combination of UV and mass response, the mass of the olefins in the mixture of olefins and saturates can be determined. Thereafter, the eluent is passed to a mass detector whereby the mass of the mixture of saturates and olefins is determined and then the mass of the aromatics is determined.