Sulfur compounds progressive identification

Sulfur Compounds. All crude oils contain sulfur in one of several forms including elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide (COS), and in aliphatic and aromatic compounds. The amount of sulfur-containing compounds increases progressively with an increase in the boiling point of the fraction. A majority of these compounds have one sulfur atom per molecule, but certain aromatic and polynuclear aromatic molecules found in low concentrations in crude oil contain two and even three sulfur atoms. Identification of the individual sulfur compounds in the heavy fractions poses a considerable challenge to the analytical chemist. 

This work has demonstrated that organically bound sulfur forms can be distinguished and in some manner quantified directly in model compound mixtures, and in petroleum and coal. The use of third derivatives of the XANES spectra was the critical factor in allowing this analysis. The tentative quantitative identifications of sulfur forms appear to be consistent with the chemical behavior of the petroleum and coal samples. XANES and XPS analyses of the same samples show the same trends in relative levels of sulfide and thiophenic forms, but with significant numerical differences. This reflects the fact that use of both XPS and XANES methods for quantitative determinations of sulfur forms are in an early development stage. Work is currently in progress to resolve issues of thickness effects for XANES spectra and to define the possible interferences from pyritic sulfur in both approaches. In addition these techniques are being extended to other nonvolatile and solid hydrocarbon materials. 

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