Application of Spectroscopic Techniques to the Structural Analysis of Petroleum

INTRODUCTION Petroleum, in the form of liquid oil or the solid asphalt, has been known for thousands of years (Speight, 1991) but, preceding the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, its true potential was not realized. However, the advent of the Industrial Revolution caused man to turn from wood and coal to petroleum as the main source of liquid fuels. Furthermore, with the onset of the 20th century and the emergence of a technologically oriented society which has focused on the development of the automobile and the airplane, further uses have been found for petroleum products. Vast industries have emerged which rely upon the conversion of petroleum to a variety of by-products, and further uses for petroleumderived materials are still being addressed.