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ASTM 2622 compliance for petroleum products on the Rigaku Supermini200

Background

ASTM 2622 - 08 lays out the expected performance from a WDXRF for the analysis of sulfur in petroleum products from 3 mg/kg to 4.6% sulfur. The analysis of sulfur is necessary to help refineries to meet legislated limits set by governmental agencies such as the EPA and State Air Resource Boards. Sulfur is linked to the formation of nitrous oxides in the atmosphere, which are the main cause of smog and also participate in the formation of ozone. Both of these conditions are the source of adverse health effects on the public at large and considered public health hazards.

The use of an internationally recognized standard such as ASTM or ISO allows the industry as a whole to carry out these measurements in exactly the same way making sure that products sulfur content is measured uniformly by all parties, the producer, the referee, and the consumer groups who monitor these parameters.

The Rigaku Supermini200 is ideal for characterizing the sulfur levels in all of the petroleum feedstocks, intermediates and final products.

Instrument Capabilities

The Supermini200 is able to handle lose powders, pressed pellets, plastic pellets, solids , liquids and thin films, operates in air, helium atmosphere or under vacuum.

It can measure elements from Al - U with low single digit ppm LLDs in petroleum matrices, F - Mg with LLDs in the 10's of ppm range and S in the sub-ppm range. Capable of precisions on <0.1% RSD under the right measuring conditions.

It is capable of qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative analysis to be used in almost any capacity you require in the process control environment. Quick scans for forensic data, approximate results for ball park characterization using Rigaku's SQX software and high precision, high accuracy data using the quantitative analysis software and certified reference materials. Factory provided Application Packages - Petro-Pak™ designed to ensure regulatory compliance are also available.

Supermini200 is a compact, benchtop Wavelength Dispersive XRF instrument, with the superior spectral resolution, sophisticated data handling and stability that you would associate with this technology, but in a smaller physical size.

Performance

Below is a quick overview of Supermini200's performance based on ASTM 2622 - accuracy and repeatability specifications on a wide variety of petroleum products.

Petroleum1
Petroleum2
Example Calibration Curve - Mineral Oil, 0-1000 mg/kg S
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Concentration range: 0 - 1000 mg / kg
RMS: 0.5 mg/kg
Correlation coefficient: 0.9999
LLD for S @ 100 s:

0.88 ppm

Petroleum4