Protect LNG Sample Integrity and Prevent Sulfur Loss with Sulfinert® Sample Cylinders - Silvia Martinez and Jan Pijpelink

Sulfur compounds in fuel streams can damage equipment and reduce BTU values, but accurate quantification is challenging due to adsorption in sample collection devices. Sulfinert® sample cylinders are significantly more inert than stainless steel cylinders and assure sample integrity during collection and storage.

Accurate analysis of sulfur compounds in refinery feedstocks, process plant streams, and gas fuels delivered by pipeline has become increasingly important as fuel markets expand. Naturally occurring sulfurs in fuel gas adversely impact processing, delivery, and utilization by corroding equipment, poisoning catalysts, and reducing BTU values. Sulfur compounds that are added to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other fuels as odorants for safety purposes can also have these negative effects. In all cases, accurate sulfur analysis is critical for equipment and pipeline protection. Since sulfur compounds are highly reactive, analytical accuracy depends heavily on the inertness of the sampling and storage equipment.

Sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, and thiophenes, are extremely reactive with stainless steel surfaces; they are easily adsorbed and show losses within minutes or hours. In contrast, sample cylinders passivated with a Sulfinert® coating show very low reactivity and are ideal for collecting and storing fuel gases containing these compounds. The Sulfinert® surface, consisting of a chemically-bonded fused silica layer, provides the inertness needed for monitoring highly-reactive sulfur compounds, down to ppbv levels.