Webinar - Analysis of Siloxanes in Biogas using TD-GC-MS

Overview

Title: Analysis of Siloxanes in Biogas using TD-GC-MS

Duration: 47 minutes

Available On Demand

Summary

​As a result of various government incentives, federal renewable fuel requirements, and an increase in public demand to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, biogas (and its upgraded form, renewable natural gas) production has increased in recent years and is projected to continue growing substantially. Biogas is derived from methanogenic decomposition of organic materials such as landfill waste, sewage sludge, crop waste, manure, and food waste. Some of these materials, particularly landfill waste and sewage, contain siloxanes – a group of volatile silicone-based compounds defined by their inclusion of an Si-O-Si chemical linkage. These siloxanes create a variety of problems for biogas and renewable natural gas applications, and as a result, biogas producers are in need of solutions for controlling and measuring siloxanes in their product. 

Simultaneous measurement of total siloxanes in biogas presents several challenges including a wide spectrum of sample matrices, challenging sensitivity requirements, and many sources of sample contamination. The newly developed standard method for sampling and analysis of siloxanes in gaseous fuels is ASTM D8230. In its current form, the method prescribes sampling by tedlar bags, passivated canisters, and sorbent traps with several options for laboratory analysis including GC-MS, GC-ICP-MS, or GC-AED.. In an effort to improve the method, Ohio Lumex has developed a siloxane sorbent trap and analysis procedure using a Shimadzu GCMS-QP2020 NX with TD-30 attachment. Ohio Lumex has also developed other methods allowed by ASTM D8230 on the same instrument to directly compare method performance. This procedure, as well as the advantages it provides over the current procedures described in D8230, will be discussed. 

Video