Characterization of petroleum-based products by infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics

The role of fossil fuels in providing the energy required for automobiles, factories and daily life has seriously concerned the authorities. Consistency of the quality of petroleum-based products is an important aspect of social and environmental criteria in a developed society. High-quality petroleum-based fuels would have several benefits (e.g., reduction in rate of consumption, less environmental pollution and durability of hardware).We review recent advances in the application of infrared spectroscopy in the petroleum industry. We focus on the methods proposed for the determination of a wide range of characteristics in petroleum-based products. We discuss methods based on the general applications of vibrational spectrometry and chemometrics to achieve pattern recognition. We also mention future trends.

► Chemometrics and infrared spectroscopy solve problems in the petroleum industry. ► Analytical applications of chemometrics and IR spectrometry in the petroleum field. ► Use of IR spectrometry in environmental studies related to the petroleum field. ► IR spectrometric analysis of the adulteration of petroleum products.