@article {52308,
	title = {Evaluation of the analyses of tert-butyldimethysilyl derivatives of naphthenic acids by gas cromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry},
	volume = {1047},
	year = {2004},
	month = {09/2004},
	pages = {11 pages },
	publisher = {Journal of Chromatography A },
	abstract = {Naphthenic acids are a complex mixture of carboxylic acids with the general formula CnH(2n+Z)O2 and they are natural, toxic components of crude oils. GC-MS analyses of tert-butyldimethylsilyl esters of naphthenic acids are used to estimate component distribution within naphthenic acids mixtures. Our evaluations of the GC-MS method showed that ions from column bleed erroneously appear as C14 Z = -4 acids and that correcting for heavy isotopes of C and Si do not significantly affect ion distribution plots. Overall, the GC-MS method appears to overestimate the relative proportion of low-molecular-mass acids. 

},
	keywords = {analytical methodology, naphthenic acids, UofA},
	author = {Clemente, Joyce S. and Fedorak, Philip M.}
}
