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Liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometric investigations of imidazoline corrosion inhibitors in crude oils
Author(s) -
McCormack P.,
Jones P.,
Rowland S. J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/rcm.625
Subject(s) - imidazoline receptor , chemistry , electrospray , mass spectrometry , alkyl , chromatography , corrosion , ethylamine , extraction (chemistry) , electrospray ionization , organic chemistry , medicine
Abstract The so‐called imidazolines (2‐alkyl‐1‐[ethylalkylamide]‐2‐imidazolines and 2‐alkyl‐1‐ethylamine‐2‐imidazolines) are a group of surface‐active compounds, complex mixtures of which are used by various industries as surfactants and corrosion inhibitors. Although their industrial synthesis was reported over 100 years ago, few methods for the determination of individual imidazolines in mixtures, including industrial matrices such as crude oils, have been reported. Here we demonstrate that spiking of crude oils with synthetic imidazolines followed by solid‐phase extraction and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation multistage mass spectrometry (LC/ESI − MS n ) allows an estimation of low (<10) parts per million concentrations of individual imidazolines in crude oils. Whilst non‐optimised at present, the method is a significant advance and may prove useful not only for improving an understanding of the mechanisms of industrial imidazoline synthesis and for monitoring downhole and topside oilfield operations, but also for the determination of the fate of imidazoline‐based oilfield corrosion inhibitors and surfactants in the environment. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.