Robust online analytical solutions are essential for analyzing oxygenates in high-throughput catalyst studies using CO₂-based feedstocks. Accurate analysis is challenging because these product streams contain complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, permanent gases, water, and oxygenates.

These studies use multiple reactors operating at high temperature and pressure, where catalysts can deactivate quickly through sintering or coking. Efficient analytics are therefore needed to track catalyst performance and process stability.

To accurately determine mass balance, efficiency, and selectivity, reactor effluents must be analyzed at low cycle times. While Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) and Mass Spectrometry (MS) offer speed, Gas Chromatography (GC) provides the most comprehensive data on reactants and products.

Analyzing these chemistries presents unique challenges:

• Water-rich matrices: High water levels complicate the analytical application and require robust column selection.
• Oxygenate separation: Oxygenates do not elute in predictable patterns and carbon-number ranges like hydrocarbons.
• Complex quantification: While hydrocarbon response on a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) depends on carbon number (C#), oxygenate response depends on the Effective Carbon Number (ECN), as oxygen atoms suppress the FID response.

Avantium Analytical Solutions Tuned for CO₂ Chemistries

Avantium develops turnkey online analytical applications for CO₂ chemistries on Flowrence® units. In catalyst testing, data density is critical and depends on both analytical cycle time and the number of analyzers available.

Our goal is to capture as much information as possible in the shortest cycle time. To do this, our online GC configurations use parallel chromatography across multiple analytical channels, combining packed and capillary columns with Thermal Conductivity Detectors (TCD) and Flame Ionization Detectors (FID).

The TCD channel uses packed columns  to analyze permanent and light gases, many of which cannot be detected by FID.

The FID-1 and FID-2 channels separate volatile hydrocarbons and oxygenates, enabling efficient analysis of complex CO₂-conversion product streams.

Example of a fast CO₂ chemistry analysis. Highly volatile components are separated on the FID-1 channel, while the remaining compounds are analyzed on the FID-2 channel. Permanent gases, including CO₂, CH₄ and CO, are directed through the mechanizer to the FID-2 channel. Applications for larger component sets are also available.

Accelerating CO₂ Conversion Research

By combining parallel chromatography, dedicated detector channels, and optimized analytical methods, Avantium delivers fast, reliable analysis for high-throughput CO₂ conversion research.

This provides  comprehensive analytical data for accurate mass balances, catalyst evaluation, selectivity measurements, and faster development of novel CO₂ conversion technologies.

Interested in analytical solutions for your CO₂ conversion research? Contact us to learn more about our online GC applications for Flowrence® systems.