Characterization of mineral and synthetic base oils by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Base oil is a main component of engine oil that enables smooth operation of an internal combustion engine. There are two types of base oils, such as mineral oil and synthetic oil. In this study, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were used to characterize the base oils. One difficulty in analyzing base oils using MS is that the ionization of alkanes can be problematic due to low ionization efficiencies and the predominance of fragmentation. Despite these limitations, the combination of GC–MS and FT-ICR MS data can provide qualitative insights into the composition differences for these various sample types. The distinctive total ion chromatogram obtained by GC–MS of the different base oils allowed the classification of mineral oil from synthetic oil. The additional structural characteristics of paraffinic compounds were also inferred by GC–MS. FT-ICR MS coupled to two different ionization methods, atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), was tested for the analysis of base oils. It was determined that APPI was suitable for the analysis of aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds, where APPI minimizes the decomposition of hydrocarbon compounds compared to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization. Using APPI FT-ICR MS, the components of the oils were characterized, including not only paraffinic compounds but also cyclic compounds. In addition, the alpha olefin monomer of the synthetic oil was determined, and the homogeneity of the branched compound of the synthetic base oil was confirmed using GC–MS and FT-ICR MS results