Sulfur content is a key quality determinant for many petroleum products. Knowledge of sulfur content impacts processing and assists compliance with government regulations. A number of standards have been developed to guide industry in monitoring sulfur levels. They define acceptable levels that range from 10 ppm for road fuels up to percent levels in heavy fuel oil.
Analysis of sulfur in fuels using XRF across the full range of concentrations has traditionally been done in the lab but this often results in production delays. Now, for many applications requiring sulfur detection, a new generation of portable ED-XRF spectrometers enables accurate analysis right at the production line, shortening production delays from days to minutes.