Quantitation of Olefin Content in Plastic-Derived Pyrolysis Oils

As the global plastic waste crisis drives the search for sustainable fuel alternatives, chemical conversion through pyrolysis has emerged as a promising solution. Pyrolysis oils share many chemical characteristics with fossil fuels but often contain high concentrations of olefins, which are notoriously difficult to quantify because they frequently co-elute with other hydrocarbon classes in standard gas chromatography. By utilizing the increased chromatographic resolution of the QuadJet comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) system, researchers can effectively separate these complex mixtures. When combined with the automated workflows of ChromaTOF Tile software, this approach allows for the accurate, detailed quantitation of olefin content, providing the essential data needed to evaluate the quality and potential of plastic-derived oils as viable petroleum alternatives.