The nitrogen bases in eight high-bolllng crude oil distillates from four crude oils having different geological sources were characterized. Four basic compound types were found in all of the distillates-pyridine benzologs, dlaza compounds, amides, and carbazoles. A chromatographlcinfrared method was developed for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the major compound types. t h e data obtained using this method were compared with titration and total nitrogen data. This comparison demonstrated that the chromatographic-infrared method alone can be used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze basic compound types in high-boiling petroleum distillates and that titration and total nitrogen data alone can be used to quickly estimate the kinds and amounts of major compound types in these distillates. The structures of the basic compounds were examined in detail using fluorescence, mass, and infrared spectrometry.Crude oil distillates may be separated into seven fractions-acids, bases, neutral nitrogens, saturates, monoaromatics, diaromatics, and polyaromatics-using the separation scheme developed by the Bureau of Mines in American Petroleum Institute Research Project 60 (1, 2 ) . Further characterization of these fractions is desirable to identify the major compound types. The polar compound types are important constituents of petroleum because, even in small amounts, they cause serious problems in processing and in the stability of the products. For example, the polar compounds cause catalyst poisoning and are involved with the formation of gums in products. Characterization of the acid fractions has been reported ( 3 ) . The analysis of base fractions according to compound types is discussed in this paper.Early work on petroleum bases has been reviewed by Lochte and Littman ( 4 ) . Much credit is due to the early workers who, without modern spectroscopic instrumentation, have identified many individual pyridine, quinoline, and benzoquinoline compounds. Recent research by Snyder (5-7) and Jewel1 and Hartung (8) has extended the compositional studies to include the identification of amides, compounds containing both nitrogen and sulfur, and diaza compounds. Quantitative estimates of the different compound types have also been made using mass spectrometry (5-7) and potentiometric titration (9-21).This investigation extends previous work by developing a standardized scheme of analyzing basic compound types in 370-535 "C and 535-675 "C petroleum distillates. Bases in crude oils from four different geological sources were studied to compare the composition of the base fractions.First described are titration data and elemental nitrogen and sulfur analyses of total base fractions. Second, a method is described involving adsorption chromatography and infrared spectrometry that was developed for the qualitative and quantitative determination of major compound types. T h e results obtained using this chromatographicinfrared method are then compared with the results of the Petroleum titration and total nitrogen ...