Analysis of Chlorine Concentrations in Crude Oil

Panalytical presents a solution for the analysis of very low chlorine concentrations in crude oils.

Epsilon 3XLE, an XRF benchtop system, has been equipped to meet the analytical challenges of the petrochemical industry. Chlorine and sulfur are unwanted elements in crude oil and other petrochemical products. They can cause corrosion in the oil-processing and refinement installations and are harmful for the environment. XRF is widely used for the analysis of sulfur in oil; however, the simultaneous determination of very low chlorine concentrations poses an analytical challenge due to the proximity of both elements in the periodic table of elements. The Company’s system is able to meet this challenge.

The combination of a proprietary chromium-anode tube, very high resolution and sensitivity of the silicon drift detector and the software enables the system to process high sulfur count rates and at the same time resolve possible line overlaps between chlorine and sulfur.