Sulfur content lamp combustion method

Sulfur. The analytical methods used for determination of sulfur in petroleum oils involve combustion under oxygen pressure in a bomb, or burning the oil in a wick lamp and absorbing the sulfur oxides in hydrogen peroxide. Conventional gravimetric or volumetric methods are then employed to determine the sulfate. A turbidimetric method is recommended in the case of low sulfur contents. 

Analytical methods are available in standard form for determining volatile sulfur content and certain specific corrosive sulfur compounds that are likely to be present. Volatile sulfur determination is made by a combustion procedure (ASTM D-126, IP 107) that uses a modification of the standard wick-fed lamp. Many laboratories use rapid combustion techniques with an oxy-hydrogen flame in a Wickbold or Martin-Floret burner (ASTM D-2784, IP 243). 

Various standard procedures are available for the determination of the sulfur content of distillate fuels. In the lamp method (ASTM D-126, IP 107), which is widely used, the product is burned completely in a small wick-fed lamp, the gases formed by combustion are absorbed in hydrogen peroxide solution, and the sulfur is subsequently determined as sulfate. Several rapid methods, including X-ray absorption and high-temperature combustion, for the determination of sulfur are also available. 

Sulfur Tests. The sulfur (D90) content of gasoline and burning oils is an important specification. About 10 g of oil is burned in a small lamp, and the products of combustion are drawn through a sodium carbonate absorption solution. The sulfur is determined by titrating the unused sodium carbonate solution. Sulfur in readual fuel oil and cirade oil is determined by the ordinary oxygen-bomb method (D129). 

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