How Is Sulfur Analysis Performed?

Total sulfur by benchtop XRF or process XRT/XRA

The need for sulfur analysis permeates almost every aspect of the petroleum industry, from upgrading and refining through to transportation and retail. Rigaku offers X-ray based analytical solutions for all of the typical sulfur applications.

Sulfur in distillates, diesel, heavies, crude and marine fuel

The Rigaku NEX QC II Series benchtop EDXRF analyzers support compliance with ASTM D4294 for sulfur analysis, as well as ISO 20847, ISO 8754, IP 496, IP 336, and JIS K 2541-4, in a robust package designed for the petroleum industry. Optimized for routine determination of sulfur in petroleum, including crudes, heavies, and bunker fuel, as well as for upgrading operations, the NEX QC II Series features a clear, icon-driven touchscreen interface, an embedded computer, and a built-in thermal printer for convenient, self-contained operation.

For process gauging, the Rigaku NEX XT X-ray transmission (XRT) analyzer provides real-time sulfur determination. On-line measurement of sulfur in heavy and light oils supports the needs of refineries, pipelines, blending operations, bunkering terminals, and other storage facilities.

Ultra low sulfur in road diesel (ULSD) and other fuels

Designed for ultra-low level sulfur analysis of diesel, petrol (gasoline) and other fuels, the Rigaku Micro-Z ULS wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) instrument features a novel design that measures both the sulfur peak and the back-ground intensity. The ability to measure and correct for changes in background intensity delivers a better net peak intensity measurement, resulting in superior calibrations and enhanced real world precision. Rigaku Micro-Z ULS complies with ASTM 2622-10, ISO 20884 and JIS K2541-7 methods.

The Rigaku NEX QC II+ benchtop EDXRF instrument delivers compliance with the ISO 13032 sulfur method for ULSD, and the high-performance Rigaku NEX CG II benchtop EDXRF is compliant with the ASTM D7220 method for ULSD.

Analyze sulfur plus other elements from Na through U

All Rigaku EDXRF analyzers have inherent multi-element analysis capability, supporting measurement of more than sulfur alone. In petroleum applications, multi-element analysis can help identify crude oil contamination or adulteration through the presence of salt and other chlorine-bearing compounds. If left undetected, chlorine can bias sulfur results high and potentially go unnoticed. Rigaku EDXRF analyzers can measure chlorine and other elements, providing additional elemental information alongside routine sulfur analysis.

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