# petrochemical

Total Research and Technology in Belgium equipped their laboratory with a Milestone ultraWAVE to facilitate laboratory analyses and analytical developments for their R&D projects. In partnership with Milestone’s application team, the lab developed a new methodology that enabled them to optimize their sample preparation process across the wide variety of sample types they need to analyze.

Considering the elevated performances of the Milestone SRC technology, the Universal Oil Products (UOP) Company has developed reference methods aimed to determine the EFFICIENCY AND COMPLIANCE OF SRC ULTRAWAVE 3 FOR PETROLEUM MATRICES Rev 1/2025 2 ultraWAVE 3 | PETROCHEMICALS INDUSTRY REPORT concentration of target metals in organic matrices by ICP-MS. In particular, two official methods have been considered in this industry report: one for the detection of major elements (UOP Method 1005-14) and another specifically for silicon in all its forms (UOP Method 1006-14); both referes the ultraWAVE for the digestion process.

Elemental analysis of heavy crude oil is important for a variety of reasons including region of origin, maturity, migration, type, and identification of potential challenges that could arise during the refining process. There are numerous challenges with analysis of heavy crude oil with most being centered on the sample prep process due to the complexity of the sample matric. Microwave digestion has been used to overcome these challenges.

Marine Palynology and Palaeoceanography research group uses the newest microwave extraction system to study primeval seabed sediment.