Assessment of SCD-DP calibration to quantify traces of sulfur compounds in gaseous streams

Abstract

This work describes the calibration of a gas chromatograph equipped with a sulfur chemiluminescent detector with dual plasma (GC-SCD-DP) for analysis of sulfur-containing petroleum refinery gaseous streams. A packed column in an inert tube (Sulfinert) and an inlet system resistant to reactive sulfur compounds were used. The behavior of the calibration procedure over time depended on the sulfur compound: hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbonyl sulfide (COS), methanethiol (MeSH) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) gave constant responses, whereas SO2 presented a systematic increase and dimethyldisulfide (DMDS) showed a systematic decrease of their response factors. In all cases, the response factors were lower than the ones found in the ASTM D 5504-08 method. The GC-SCD-DP technique proved to be a suitable tool for quantification of sulfur compounds (including SO2) at µg.m-3 levels in several petroleum refinery gaseous streams.