In this interview, AZoMaterials speaks with Daniela Cavagnino, Gas Chromatography and Sampling Solutions Specialist, and Dan Merriman, Process Mass Spectrometry Specialist, from Thermo Fisher Scientific, about how petrochemical laboratories can bridge the gap between traditional laboratory-based analysis and real-time process monitoring.
They discuss how combining benchtop gas chromatography (GC) with process mass spectrometry enables petrochemical operators to achieve both analytical accuracy and operational speed, supporting process optimization, compliance, troubleshooting, and product quality assurance. They also explore emerging technologies such as connecting vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy to gas chromatography and explain how integrated analytical workflows are helping laboratories and process plants make faster, more confident decisions.
Can you please outline your roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific?
Daniela Cavagnino: My focus is on developing and promoting gas chromatography workflow solutions for industrial and petrochemical laboratories. By combining technologies such as benchtop gas chromatography and process mass spectrometry, we help customers improve analytical confidence and gain faster access to operational data that supports critical decision-making.
Dan Merriman: I specialize in process mass spectrometry solutions for industrial and petrochemical applications. My work focuses on helping customers implement real-time gas analysis systems that provide continuous visibility into process conditions, enabling faster operational decisions while maintaining analytical performance that closely aligns with trusted laboratory methods. Process mass spectrometry extends analytical capability directly to the process line, allowing facilities to monitor multiple streams and respond rapidly to process changes.
Why is analytical data so important in petrochemical operations?
Daniela Cavagnino: Analytical data is fundamental because it supports some of the most important decisions made across petrochemical facilities, including process control, product release, quality assurance, and troubleshooting.
The challenge is that there is often a trade-off between obtaining information quickly and obtaining highly detailed compositional information. Operators need immediate visibility when process conditions change, but they also require accurate laboratory measurements for validation, compliance, and detailed investigation. Balancing these needs is critical for efficient and reliable operations.
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How can petrochemical laboratories bridge the gap between real-time monitoring and detailed laboratory analysis?
Daniela Cavagnino: The most effective approach is to use on-line process mass spectrometry and benchtop GC/GC-MS systems as complementary analytical tools. Process mass spectrometry delivers continuous, real-time measurements and immediately alerts operators to changes in gas composition. Benchtop GC and GC-MS then provides the detailed compositional information needed to confirm what has changed, quantify it accurately, and support validation, troubleshooting, product or process decisions and regulatory requirements.
Together, these technologies create a lab-to-line workflow. Online mass spectrometry provides rapid visibility and early warning, while GC delivers the analytical depth and method-based confidence for detailed understaning. This combination enables faster decision-making with a much higher level of confidence.
What does a typical analytical workflow look like across a petrochemical facility?
Daniela Cavagnino: The workflow generally begins in the laboratory, where detailed characterization and method development establish reference methods and define stream compositions. In laboratory GC and GC-MS also support routine quality control and product-release activities while ensuring compliance with industry standards.
The next stage involves correlating laboratory results with plant operating conditions to improve process understanding. Finally, the workflow extends beyond the laboratory to real-time process control through online mass spectrometry, which continuously monitors process streams, providing visibility into changes in composition and process conditions.
Importantly, these are not isolated activities, but they support complementary objectives, using the right technology where it provides the greatest value. Laboratory data informs process monitoring strategies, while process data feeds back into laboratory validation and optimization efforts.
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Can you share some examples where combining GC and process mass spectrometry provides value in petrochemical applications?
Daniela Cavagnino: One important example is steam crackers and refinery gas operations, where process conditions can change very quickly. Online mass spectrometry detects rapid shifts in feed and cracker gas composition in real time, while benchtop GC confirms the exact composition and helps with yield accounting, sulfur confirmation, and troubleshooting.
A second example is natural gas and its liquids. Here, composition and calorific value directly affect product value and regulatory compliance. Process mass spectrometry provides rapid awareness during blending events, while laboratory GC delivers contract-grade results that support custody transfer and compliance reporting.
Fuel blending is another key area. Online mass spectrometry can identify blending drift before specifications are compromised, while GC verifies final product quality through detailed analysis of aromatics, oxygenates, olefins, and boiling point profiles.
What benchtop GC solutions does Thermo Fisher Scientific offer for petrochemical laboratories?
Daniela Cavagnino: Our benchtop solutions are built around the Thermo Scientific TRACE 1610 Gas Chromatograph platform. These systems are configured with an auxiliary oven, multiple valves, and multi-column arrangements to address a wide range of petrochemical applications and regulatory guidelines.
The platform uses a modular architecture that allows laboratories to self-install different injectors and detectors as needed. Up to four detectors can operate simultaneously on a single GC analyzer, providing excellent flexibility for multi-channels, multi-detector comfigurations. The modular design also simplifies maintenance, troubleshooting, and future reconfiguration.
How do these analyzers support applications across the petrochemical value chain?
Daniela Cavagnino: The GC analyzers are available as preconfigured systems designed for upstream, midstream, and downstream applications. For LPG and refinery gas analysis, they provide detailed hydrocarbon composition data and measurements of impurities, including permanent gases and sulfur compounds.
For natural gas and natural gas liquids, more than 20 GC analyzer configurations are available to cover different needs. These systems deliver complete compositional breakdowns, calorific value calculations, and impurity measurements while supporting compliance with GPA, ASTM, DIN, and ISO standards.
In refining and fuel blending environments, dedicated solutions support detailed hydrocarbon analysis, PIONA analysis, simulated distillation, aromatics determination, oxygenate analysis, and product release testing.
Petrochemical streams can be extremely complex. What challenges do they present for analysis?
Daniela Cavagnino: Petrochemical fractions often contain thousands of compounds spanning a wide boiling range, and the number of possible isomers increases dramatically with carbon number. Traditional detailed hydrocarbon analysis and group-type analysis such as PIONA, often require complex multi-column systems and sophisticated instrument configurations.
Increasing method complexity means extended analysis times, and requires significant expertise to maintain and interpret results. As hydrocarbon streams become more complex, laboratories need technologies that can simplify analysis without sacrificing data quality.
How is vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy transforming petrochemical analysis?
Daniela Cavagnino: Vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy as detection technology for gas chromatography offers a powerful alternative approach for complex hydrocarbon analysis. Rather than relying solely on chromatographic separation, GC-VUV uses absorption spectra in the vacuum-ultraviolet region to identify compounds based on unique spectral signatures.
This allows analysts to differentiate hydrocarbon classes and even resolve overlapping isomers that would otherwise be difficult to separate chromatographically. As a result, detailed hydrocarbon analysis and group-type characterization can be performed using a single column and a single detector.
GC-VUV significantly simplifies workflows while still providing both qualitative identification and quantitative analysis, making it particularly valuable for complex petrochemical samples. What previously required multiple analytical approaches and lengthy run times can now often be achieved in a single analysis of approximately half an hour.
What advantages does process mass spectrometry provide for petrochemical operations?
Dan Merriman: Process mass spectrometry offers continuous monitoring, fast analytical cycle times, and the ability to detect real-time changes in process conditions. Unlike traditional laboratory workflows, which are inherently periodic, process mass spectrometry provides a continuous stream of actionable information directly from the process line.
The technology can analyze a wide range of gases, including organic and inorganic gases, noble gases, and most volatile compounds. This versatility makes it particularly well-suited for complex petrochemical environments where multiple process streams must be monitored simultaneously.
How does process mass spectrometry support real-time decision-making and plant-wide monitoring?
Dan Merriman: One of the major strengths of process mass spectrometry is its speed. Due to its rapid analytical cycle times, a single system can be coupled with a multi-stream selector and monitor large portions of a facility.
Solutions are available that can monitor up to 127 sample streams with a single mass spectrometer. Even with broad plant coverage, measurements can still be completed within minutes, giving operators visibility into process changes and abnormal conditions quickly enough to intervene before product quality or plant performance is affected.
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How does process mass spectrometry compare with laboratory GC in terms of analytical performance?
Dan Merriman: Gas chromatography remains one of the most trusted analytical methods in the chemical industry, providing highly defensible compositional data. However, modern process mass spectrometry can achieve a very high degree of alignment with laboratory measurements.
Ethylene measurements taken from an online process mass spectrometer closely match those obtained using a laboratory GC. This demonstrates that real-time process mass spectrometry can provide laboratory-quality data directly from the process line while delivering results much faster than traditional laboratory workflows.
What does a practical lab-to-line analytical workflow look like?
Dan Merriman: A successful lab-to-line workflow combines the strengths of both technologies. Laboratory GC provides the trusted reference measurements required for validation, specification testing, and regulatory compliance. Process mass spectrometry extends analytical capability into the plant by delivering continuous online measurements.
Rather than viewing them as competing technologies, they should be seen as complementary tools. The laboratory establishes confidence in the measurements, while the online system delivers the speed and responsiveness required for process control. Together, they create a connected analytical strategy that supports better operational decisions.
What business benefits can petrochemical companies achieve by integrating process mass spectrometry with laboratory GC?
Dan Merriman: This combination delivers both operational and commercial benefits. Companies benefit from faster awareness of process changes, improved troubleshooting capabilities, stronger compliance support, and greater confidence in product quality.
From a business perspective, the ability to combine laboratory-grade analytical accuracy with real-time process visibility enables faster decision-making and more effective corrective actions. The result is improved efficiency, reduced risk, enhanced product consistency, and greater confidence across the entire petrochemical operation.
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About the Interviewees
Dan Merriman is a global leader in process analytics and instrumentation with more than 30 years working in the field of process mass spectrometry. At Thermo Fisher Scientific, he has guided worldwide sales, marketing, and product strategy, driving successful new product introductions. Recognized for his depth of expertise, Dan has authored numerous white papers and application notes and conducted extensive research that has influenced industry standards in monitoring and measurement.
Dr. Daniela Cavagnino received her Master's Degree in Chemistry at the University of Milan, Italy. She started her career in gas chromatography at Thermo Fisher Scientific with several years in R&D laboratories working on GC technology innovation. Then, she applied her technical background to product and marketing management. Today, she has more than 25 years of experience in GC/GCMS technology and applications in several different market segments, including petrochemicals.
This information has been sourced, reviewed, and adapted from materials provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific – Environmental and Process Monitoring Instruments.
For more information on this source, please visit Thermo Fisher Scientific – Environmental and Process Monitoring Instruments.
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