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WDXRF

Petroleum and Fuels

In the oil and petroleum industry, precise elemental analysis is essential for quality control, regulatory compliance, and process stability. Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry provides fast, accurate, and non-destructive measurement of key elements such as sulfur, lead, nickel, and vanadium across crude oils, fuels, and lubricants. With superior sensitivity and repeatability, WDXRF supports reliable monitoring from production to final product certification.

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Ensuring quality across petroleum and fuel products

WDXRF has been widely applied in the petroleum and fuel industries, demonstrating how precise elemental analysis supports quality assurance, process optimization, and environmental compliance.

  • Crude and heavy oils: Quantification of sulfur, nickel, and vanadium helps evaluate crude quality and monitor impurities that affect refining performance.
  • Refined fuels (gasoline, diesel, kerosene): Accurate sulfur and lead quantification ensures compliance with international environmental standards.
  • Lubricating oils: Multi-elemental analysis verifies additive composition and detects contamination that can affect engine performance.
  • Residual oils and recycled fuels: Elemental profiling of heavy fractions supports process optimization and quality assurance in secondary fuel applications.

The application notes below provide real measurement data from these representative cases, demonstrating the versatility of WDXRF for both research and routine quality assurance across the petroleum value chain.

Application notes

Sulfur analysis in crude oil and fuels: sulfur analysis in crude oil and fuels
WDXRF1081 - Analysis of Low-concentration Sulfur in Petroleum-based Fuels by Benchtop WDXRF according to ASTM D2622-16 Read Application Note
WDXRF1082 - Sulfur Analysis in Crude Oil and high-sulfur Fuels by Benchtop WDXRF according to ASTM D2622-16 Read Application Note
WDXRF1106 - Sulfur Analysis in Petroleum Products by WDXRF according to ASTM D2622-16 Read Application Note
WDXRF1108 - Sulfur Analysis in Crude Oil and High-sulfur Fuels by WDXRF according to ASTM D2622-16 Read Application Note
WDXRF1076 - Analysis of Low-concentration Sulfur in Petroleum-based Fuels per ASTM D2622-16 Read Application Note
WDXRF1080 - Sulfur Analysis in Petroleum Products by Benchtop WDXRF According to ASTM D2622-16 Read Application Note
WDXRF1107 - Analysis of Low-concentration Sulfur in Petroleum-based Fuels by WDXRF According to ASTM D2622-16 Read Application Note
Lead analysis in gasoline: Determination according to ASTM D5059-21
WDXRF1117 - Lead Analysis in Gasoline — ASTM D5059-21 — using WDXRF ZSX Primus IV𝒾 Read Application Note
WDXRF1116 - Lead Analysis in Gasoline — ASTM D5059-21 — using Benchtop WDXRF Supermini200 Read Application Note
Lubricating oil analysis: Additive and contamination analysis according to ASTM D6443-14
WDXRF1105 - Lubricating Oil Analysis by WDXRF According to ASTM D6443-14 Read Application Note
WDXRF1079 - Lubricating Oil Analysis by Benchtop WDXRF according to ASTM D6443-14 Read Application Note
Residual oils and recycled fuels notes: Multi-elemental analysis for heavy and alternative fuel quality control
WDXRF1104 - Analysis of S, Fe, Ni and V in Residual Oil According to IP610/13 Read Application Note
WDXRF1090 - Semi-quantitative Analysis of Recycled Solid Fuel with Benchtop WDXRF Supermini200 Read Application Note
Additional application notes
WDXRF1092 - Fixed Angle Measurement using the Semi-Quantitative Analysis Function SQX of ZSX Guidance Software Read Application Note
WDXRF1084 - Mapping and Small Spot Analysis with a General-Purpose XRF Spectrometer Read Application Note

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