Chemical Characterization

The Analytical Services Group is an independent commercial laboratory that performs chemical testing services including standardized analytical tests to characterize hydrocarbon physical and chemical properties. Full crude oil assays, distillate cut property characterization, fuel product specification analysis, lubricant oil analysis and petrochemical evaluation are among the services we can provide.

Northrop Grumman performs over 80 different analyses for commercial and government customers within the petroleum industry. These include standard analytical procedures established and maintained by ASTM, UOP, IP and others. When standardized methods do not address clients' needs, the company develops specialized or adaptive procedures to meet specific project requirements.

Northrop Grumman's analytical laboratory provides a broad range of chemical property measurements:

Acid Number
Aromatics, Olefins, Saturates (FIA)
Asphaltene Content
Bromine Number
Benzene, Toluene, Xylenes
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen (CHN)
Chloride (organic, total)
Corrosion, Copper Strip
Detailed Gas Analysis
Detailed Hydrocarbon Analysis
Gum
Hydrocarbon Types by Mass Spectrometry
Metals (by ICP)
Molecular Weight by VPO
Naphthalenes
Nitrogen
PIANO
Saturates/Aromatics/Resins/Asphaltenes
Specific Gravity
Sulfur
Water Content of Hydrocarbons
Wax Content

Detailed analysis of fractions is performed using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry (MS), gas chromatography (GC), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).

The PetroMass (www.PetroMass.com) mass spectrometry laboratory includes specialized high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) to obtain detailed analysis of complex distillates and to characterize the heavier materials in fossil fuels.