However, previous studies have highlighted problems with the recovery of products from the oxidation of hydroaromatic compounds and the method requires careful calibration and optimisation. This study presents computer modelling evidence that compositional data from RuO4 oxidation of FCC feedstocks can make a significant improvement to the accuracy of FCC modelling and to the economic value of the refined products. RuO4 oxidation and work-up procedures were optimised in an attempt to overcome problems with 'losses' of oxidation products from hydroaromatic compounds, including an improved carbon dioxide trap. Several novel hydroaromatic compounds and a diaromatic compound proposed previously to be 'average' UCM components were synthesised and fully characterised by GC, GCMS, FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. These losses can be partially accounted for by the 'over oxidation' of initial carboxylic acid products.
Smaller acids are likely to be undetected or lost as butyl esters during work-up.
This is consistent with previous studies where diaromatic UCMs were oxidised to give a more complex 'oxidised UCM' rather than simple carboxylic acids. The observation of monocarboxylic acids in oxidation products from the alicyclic portion of a hydroaromatic compound has not been reported previously. This represents a new source of monocarboxylic acids in the RuO4 oxidation products of UCMs and should be taken into account in the oxidation of UCMs likely to contain a significant proportion of hydroaromatic structures, such as hydro-treated FCC feedstocks. The synthesis and oxidation of model UCM hydrocarbons has increased the understanding of RuO4 oxidation of UCMs and consequently furthered the use of RuO4 as a potentially useful tool in the elucidation of FCC feedstock compositions and other aromatic UCMs.