Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 25 No 5 (2021): 776 - 790

 

 

 

 

VOLATILE CHEMICAL PROFILING OF UNBURNT AND BURNT RON 95 PETROL FROM THREE OIL STATIONS: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

 

(Pemprofilan Sebatian Kimia Meruap bagi Petrol RON 95 yang Tidak Dibakar dan Dibakar daripada Tiga Stesen Minyak: Satu Kajian Awal)

 

Dheephikha Kumaraguru¹, Wan Nur Syuhaila Mat Desa², Khairul Osman¹, Noor Hazfalinda Hamzah¹, Gina Francesca Gabriel¹*

 

¹Forensic Science Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

²Forensic Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, Health Campus,

Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  ginafgabriel@ukm.edu.my

 

 

Received:  27 July 2021; Accepted: 30 September 2021; Published:  25 October 2021

 

 

Abstract

Commercially available petrol is often used as fire accelerants in arson cases, and the determination of petrol residues are instrumental in fire investigations. When subjected to heat, changes occur to the chemical fingerprint of petrol, resulting in differences between petrol in post-fire and pre-fire. This study aimed to identify the differences in the volatile chemical fingerprints of unburnt and burnt petrol (RON 95) from three different oil stations, X, Y and Z, in Malaysia. Unburnt petrol was prepared by diluting 1 mL of petrol with 1 mL of pentane. Burnt petrol was prepared by burning 30 mL of petrol in an aluminium can for 1 minute. All samples were analysed using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results revealed that a range of n-alkanes, n-alkylbenzenes, alcohol, n-cycloalkanes and indane were detected from unburnt petrol. In contrast, only n-alkylbenzenes were present in the burnt petrol samples across the three oil stations. The majority of the volatile chemical of unburnt petrol were similar across all three oil stations. Some specific volatiles were identified in unburnt petrol, including 3,7-dimethyl-1-octene and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane in X, 2-methyl-1-butene in Y and 2-hexene in Z. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) plot (with 80.1% total variation) supported the discrimination of the three unburnt petrol samples. Conversely, PCA plot (with 91.2% total variation) of burnt petrol samples were indistinguishable due to the loss of lighter volatile compounds, including the specific volatiles. This preliminary profiling study explains the characterisation of specific petrol volatiles, which potentially impart valuable information to the forensic ignitable liquid reference database.

 

Keywords:   petrol, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, activated carbon tablet, RON 95, principal component analysis

 

Abstrak

Petrol merupakan bahan api yang biasa digunakan dalam kes-kes arson. Oleh itu, pengenalpastian petrol di tempat kejadian kebakaran amat penting dalam penyiasatan kebakaran. Apabila dibakar, perubahan akan berlaku pada komposisi petrol yang menyebabkan perbezaan antara petrol yang tidak dibakar dan dibakar. Dengan itu, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti perbezaan antara petunjuk utama petrol yang dibakar dengan petrol yang tidak dibakar dari tiga stesen minyak yang berlainan di Malaysia. Sampel petrol yang tidak dibakar disediakan dengan melarutkan 1 mL pentana dengan 1 mL petrol. Sampel petrol terbakar pula disediakan dengan membakar 30 mL petrol dalam tin aluminium selama 1 minit. Semua sampel dianalisis dengan kromatografi gas-spektrometri jisim (GC-MS). Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa sebatian n-alkana, n-alkilbenzena, alkohol, n-sikloalkana dan indana dikesan dalam petrol yang tidak terbakar manakala hanya n-alkilbenzena dikesan dalam sampel petrol yang terbakar daripada ketiga-tiga stesen minyak. Sebilangan besar sebatian meruap dalam sampel petrol tidak dibakar dari ketiga-tiga stesen minyak adalah sama. Beberapa sebatian meruap spesifik telah dikenalpasti dalam petrol tidak dibakar iaitu 3,7-dimetil-1-oktena dan 2,2,4-trimetilpentana dari X, 2-metil-1-butena dari Y dan 2- heksena dari Z. Plot analisis komponen utama (PCA) (dengan 80.1% total varians) mengukuhkan diskriminasi antara ketiga-tiga sampel petrol tidak dibakar. Sebaliknya, plot PCA (dengan 91.2% total varians) bagi sampel-sampel petrol dibakar tidak dapat dibezakan disebabkan oleh kehilangan sebatian mudah meruap termasuklah sebatian-sebatian meruap spesifik tersebut. Kajian pemprofilan di peringkat permulaan ini menjelaskan bahawa pencirian sebatian meruap yang spesifik dalam petrol berpotensi memberi maklumat tambahan kepada pangkalan data bahan mudah bakar forensik.

 

Kata kunci:  petrol, kromatografi gas-spektrometri jisim, karbon tablet teraktif, RON 95, analisis komponen utama

 

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