Tuesday Morning Sample Preparation Session

A Tuesday morning session on Sample Preparation starts at 9:00 am in the Tulip Room with Reynhardt Klopper of Anton Paar discussing how Microwave Digestion replaces 10-h ash methods for metals analysis in petroleum products.

Klopper’s research describes how laboratories preparing petroleum samples for metals analysis have been using ASTM test methods D5708-B, D5863-A, or IP 501 to prepare samples. He explains how these methods are slow, inefficient, and laborious. Additionally, he notes that recently approved ASTM standard practice D7876 can reduce the preparation time and acid consumption, and it can eliminate an operator’s exposure to corrosive vapors. A novel microwave digestion instrument that enables efficient and reproducible digestion of a wide variety of petroleum samples will be presented. Klopper’s research shows that up to 24 different samples can be processed simultaneously, even when applying varying acid mixtures. Digestions are performed under reflux or stirring to overcome challenges associated with highly viscous, buoyant, or reactive samples.