Comparison of Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography with a Flame Ionization Detector and D2425 Methods in the Analysis of Different Hydrocarbon Types in Jet Fuel

The performance of a recently developed comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC x GC/FID) method designed to be an alternative to the D2425 standard method for the analysis of different hydrocarbon types in jet fuels was compared to that of an analytical protocol that complied with the D2425 standard method, updated in 2019. The methods were compared using three samples: conventional Jet A-1 aviation fuel, synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK), a sustainable aviation fuel made from hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), and laboratory-made reference material (RM). This study shows that both the GC x GC/FID and D2425 protocols comply with the precision requirements of the D2425 standard method and that the GC x GC/FID method has a good accuracy over the typical concentration range of different hydrocarbon types in jet fuel. The results suggest that the D2425 method is accurate for concentrations above 10 wt % but fails to provide accurate results for low concentrations. The study also reveals that it is challenging to estimate the bias of the D2425 method with a RM that contains only a limited number of model compounds, because the D2425 method is intended for use with products covering a full boiling point range.