CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF.pdfVIP

2003. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 1 12 2 : 109-1 16 CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FRESH, USED AND WEATHERED MOTOR OIL VIA GC/MS, NMR AND FTIR TECHNIQUES Elena Dominguez-Rosado and John Pichtel: Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana 47306 USA ABSTRACT. Motor oil undergoes a range of chemical and physical transformations during routine engine operation, and oil transformations continue following release to the environment. Some components of motor oil, particularly used oils, are considered a threat to public health and the environment. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy GC/MS , Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy FTIR , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy NMR , and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry FAAS tech- niques were employed to characterize the chemical composition of fresh, used, and weathered used oil samples. Used oil was weathered by adding to soil at a rate of 1.5% w/w , seeding with mixed grass and legume species, and incubating. Soxhlet-extractable oil was analyzed over 150 days. Compared with fresh motor oil, used oil contained new aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon compounds such as 1.3,5-trimeth\l 1704-1603 benzene, /7-xylene and methyl ester undecanoic acid. FTIR bands at cm were related to the presence of carbonyl groups, and bands at 869, 813 and 1603 cm were associated with new aromatic hydrocarbons including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. NMR analysis revealed new peaks in the used oil in the range 2.1-2.7 ppm and 6.8-7.2 ppm, which were associated with new aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon products, respectively. FTIR and GC-MS analysis of weathered used oil indicated the pres- ence of various alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, indicating substantial biological and chemical decom- position. It is not known, however, if detoxification of the used oil occurred. Keywords: Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, gas chromat