How it Works Webinar
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
1 PM ET
Organochloride contamination in crude oil can cause hydrochloric acid to be formed during the hydrotreating process. Hydrochloric acid can corrode equipment, piping and vessels in both upstream and downstream units.
Quantitation of organochloride compounds is currently performed using ASTM D4929. This involves distillation of a naphtha cut, followed by a multistep washing of the crude oil to remove any hydrogen sulfide and inorganic salts. The method provides a choice of three detection methods.
False positives (presence of organochlorides) have been reported using ASTM D4929. This may be due to the formation of olefins in the distillation process that were converted by the presence of inorganic salts to organic chlorides.
The proposed method requires no distillation or sample washing and would enhance productivity by reducing sample handling. Also improving accuracy by significantly reducing the chance of false positives. Chromatography speciation of the organochlorides is performed in an attempt to locate the source of the contamination. Learning will involve the use of a microfluidic device successfully backflushing the crude after nC14 and the XSD from Xylem, a unimolar detector for chlorinates.
As an attendee, you will learn more about:
- The shortcomings of ASTM D4929, including how distillation and sample washing can introduce false positives and reduce accuracy.
- How microfluidic backflushing with an XSD detector simplifies analysis by removing the need for distillation or washing while improving productivity and accuracy.
- How chromatographic speciation helps pinpoint contamination sources by identifying individual organochloride compounds, rather than just providing a total value.
The contents of this session was developed in collaboration with Amanda Prefontaine, upstream lab supervisor at InnoTech Alberta.
