Mercury Content in Petrochemicals

PS Analytical (UK) specialise in the determination of Mercury and hydride forming elements such as Arsenic, Selenium and Antimony. We have been supplying laboratory and online process equipment for the Petrochemical Industry for over 25 years. Knowledge of the mercury content in petrochemicals is extremely important not only because of the environmental concern but also because of the damage mercury can cause to petrochemical plants.

PSA are proud to announce the first ever Online Process Analyser for Hg in Liquid Hydrocarbons (PSA 50.116). The instrumentation is based on the hugely successful 10.515 Hg pre-concentrator and 10.525 Sir Galahad Hg Analyser. Liquid samples at line pressure are delivered using a specially designed sampling arrangement that provides a truly representative sample. The sample at line pressure is injected into a flash vaporisation chamber where the Hg is collected on a high temperature adsorbent tube. The mercury is then measured by thermal desorption atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The system comes complete with an automated calibration system, multi-stream functionality and various process control protocols.

This approach provides accur-ate and rapid unattended online measurements with sub ppb detection limits with linearity to the ppm levels for a wide range of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon samples. The system is supplied in purged cabinets that allow the instrumentation to be located in Zone 1, Class 1, Div 1 Hazardous Area locations.