A Preliminary Survey<i>of</i>Hydrocarbon-Derived Oxygenated Material<i>in Automobile</i>Exhaust Gases

Abstract

sufficient oxygenates for a chromatographic analysis by the techniques described. This amount of exhaust gas contains about 90 mg of water, and such a quantity of water is eluted from a gas chromatographic column in a broad band that may tend to obscure other oxygenate peaks. The removal of this water, an important step in the analysis of oxygenates, is difficult to accomplish by chemical means without seriously affecting the oxygenates. The problem was partially solved by removing the water by chromatograph ic methods, but this required compromising the sample to limit the total quantity of water and yet provide enough oxygenates for identification of all quantitatively significant components. It was desirable to increase the ratio of oxygenates to interfering materials, such as water, in the exhaust gases. This was found to be possible by operating the engine under motored conditions, decelerating conditions, or when the engine was deliberately misfired. Most of the data obtained in this study were taken on exhaust gases produced during these operating conditions because they were favorable to experimental pro