Rapid small-scale separation of saturate, aromatic and polar components in petroleum

A rapid small-scale method for the separation and analysis of saturate, aromatic and polar components from petroleum is described using silica gel liquid chromatography and GC–MS techniques. Crude oil samples rich in long chain alkylbenzenes and mono-aromatic steranes were used to demonstrate that complete separation can be obtained using disposable glassware such as Pasteur pipettes and minimal amounts of solvents and silica gel, with sample sizes up to 20 mg. This method affords rapid sample processing suitable for routine use in petroleum geochemistry and environmental forensics.