Abstract: The hydrocarbon potential of a source rock comprising hydrocarbons and insoluble organic materials capable of generating hydrocarbons upon pyrolysis or further maturation is analytically determined. In the instant invention, a particular sample of the source rock is slurried with a solvent to extract the hydrocarbons therefrom and provide a first solution for analysis. The extracted sample is again slurried with a solvent and the resulting slurry is heated to a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the insoluble organic material to liquid hydrocarbons. The liquid hydrocarbons dissolve in the solvent to provide a second solution for analysis. The first and second solutions are then analyzed independently for hydrocarbon content.

Abstract: A method for thermogravimetrically analyzing a plastic molding composition comprising carbon black and a vinyl chloride homopolymer or copolymer molding resin to determine the carbon black content wherein the method comprises the steps of compounding the molding composition so that the carbon black is uniformly dispersed therein, heating the molding composition in an inert atmosphere to a temperature sufficient to reproducibly thermally decompose the vinyl chloride homopolymer or copolymer, maintaining the molding composition at the decomposition temperature in an inert atmosphere for a first given time which is long enough so that there is no further significant weight loss, weighing the molding composition to determine the weight loss during the first given time and comparing the weight loss for the first given time with that for samples of known composition analyzed under the same conditions to determined the carbon black content of the molding composition.