Chun-Yun Zhang

A rapid method for simultaneously determining ethanol and methanol content in wines by full evaporation headspace gas chromatography

This work reports on a full evaporation headspace gas chromatographic (FE HS-GC) method for simultaneously determining the ethanol (EtOH) and methanol (MeOH) content in wines. A small sample (10μL) was placed in a headspace sample vial, and a near-complete mass transfer of ethanol and methanol from the liquid sample to the vapor phase was obtained within three minutes at a temperature of 105°C, which allowed the measurement of the EtOH and MeOH content in the sample by GC. The results showed excellent precision and accuracy, as shown by the reproducibilities of 1.02% and 2.11% for EtOH and MeOH, respectively, and recoveries that ranged from 96.1% to 104% for both alcohols. The method is efficient, accurate and suitable for the determination of EtOH and MeOH in wine production and quality control.

Rapid determination of methanol content in paper materials by alkaline extraction, coupled with headspace analysis.

This study reports on a rapid method for the determination of methanol in paper-based materials by alkaline extraction, coupled with headspace analysis. Methanol partition equilibria between solid-liquid phases and vapor-liquid phases were conducted in two separate containers, from which an equation for calculating the total methanol content in the original paper sample was derived. It was found that the extraction equilibrium of methanol from solid sample could be achieved within 5min at room temperature using a high-speed disintegrator, and a subsequent neutralization step is an effective way to prevent methanol from being regenerated at high temperature during headspace equilibration. The results showed that the relative standard deviations for reproducibility tests were in the range of 1.86-6.03%, and the recoveries were in the range of 92.3-107%. The present method is simple and practical; it can be an efficient tool for quantifying the methanol content in paper-based materials and thus play an important role in the investigation of methanol migration behavior in food and beverage packaging.

A novel method for the determination of adsorption partition coefficients of minor gases in a shale sample by headspace gas chromatography

A novel method has been developed for the determination of adsorption partition coefficient (Kd) of minor gases in shale. The method uses samples of two different sizes (masses) of the same material, from which the partition coefficient of the gas can be determined from two independent headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) measurements. The equilibrium for the model gas (ethane) was achieved in 5h at 120°C. The method also involves establishing an equation based on the Kd at higher equilibrium temperature, from which the Kd at lower temperature can be calculated. Although the HS-GC method requires some time and effort, it is simpler and quicker than the isothermal adsorption method that is in widespread use today. As a result, the method is simple and practical and can be a valuable tool for shale gas-related research and applications.

Effect of shortening kraft pulping integrated with extended oxygen delignification on biorefinery process performance of eucalyptus

The aim of this work was to study the impact of shortening kraft pulping (KP) process integrated with extended oxygen delignification (OD) on the biorefinery process performance of eucalyptus. Data showed that using kraft pulps with high kappa number could improve the delignification efficiency of OD, reduce hexenuronic acid formation in kraft pulps. Pulp viscosity for a target kappa number of ∼10 was comparable to that obtained from conventional KP and OD process. The energy and alkali consumption in the integrated biorefinery process could be optimized when using a KP pulp with kappa number of ∼27. The process could minimize the overall methanol formation, but greater amounts of carbonate and oxalate were formed. The information from this study will be helpful to the future implementation of short-time KP integrated with extended OD process in actual pulp mill applications for biorefinery, aiming at further improvement in the biorefinery effectiveness of hardwood.

A novel multiple headspace extraction gas chromatographic method for measuring the diffusion coefficient of methanol in water and in olive oil.

A novel method for the determination of the diffusion coefficient (D) of methanol in water and olive oil has been developed. Based on multiple headspace extraction gas chromatography (MHE-GC), the methanol released from the liquid sample of interest in a closed sample vial was determined in a stepwise fashion. A theoretical model was derived to establish the relationship between the diffusion coefficient and the GC signals from MHE-GC measurements. The results showed that the present method has an excellent precision (RSD<1%) in the linear fitting procedure and good accuracy for the diffusion coefficients of methanol in both water and olive oil, when compared with data reported in the literature. The present method is simple and practical and can be a valuable tool for the determination of the diffusion coefficient of volatile analyte(s) into food simulants from food and beverage packaging material, both in research studies and in actual applications.

Experimental data and kinetic models in terms of methanol formation during oxygen delignification processes of alkaline pulps

Abstract This paper reports on the formation of methanol (MeOH) during conventional oxygen delignification (OD) of four typical alkaline pulps, namely, southern pine kraft pulp (SP-KP), wheat straw soda pulp (WS-SP), and eucalyptus kraft pulp (E-KP) with κ numbers (KN) of 32.8 and 16.9 (E-KP32.8 and E-KP16.9). Based on the mass transfer effect of MeOH and a proposed demethoxylation reaction pathway of lignin, two kinds of kinetic models were proposed to predict MeOH formation. The results show that the two-stage pseudo kinetic model with a first-order rate equation is adequate, which was further modified to a first-order kinetic model by means of which MeOH formation during OD of the pulps can be effectively predicted. Finally, the single set of kinetic parameters for the WS-SP, E-KP32.8, and E-KP16.9 pulps was calculated. The proposed kinetic model is considered as a valuable tool for the prediction and control of MeOH formation during OD of various alkaline pulps.

Determination of maximal amount of minor gases adsorbed in a shale sample by headspace gas chromatography.

In this paper, we present a novel method for determining the maximal amount of ethane, a minor gas species, adsorbed in a shale sample. The method is based on the time-dependent release of ethane from shale samples measured by headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC). The study includes a mathematical model for fitting the experimental data, calculating the maximal amount gas adsorbed, and predicting results at other temperatures. The method is a more efficient alternative to the isothermal adsorption method that is in widespread use today.

Determination of Porosity in Shale by Double Headspace Extraction GC Analysis

This paper reports on a novel method for the rapid determination of the shale porosity by double headspace extraction gas chromatography (DHE-GC). Ground core samples of shale were placed into headspace vials and DHE-GC measurements of released methane gas were performed at a given time interval. A linear correlation between shale porosity and the ratio of consecutive GC signals was established both theoretically and experimentally by comparing with the results from the standard helium pycnometry method. The results showed that (a) the porosity of ground core samples of shale can be measured within 30 min; (b) the new method is not significantly affected by particle size of the sample; (c) the uncertainties of measured porosities of nine shale samples by the present method range from 0.31 to 0.46 p.u.; and (d) the results obtained by the DHE-GC method are in a good agreement with those from the standard helium pycnometry method. In short, the new DHE-GC method is simple, rapid, and accurate, making it a valuable tool for shale gas-related research and applications.