Compact sulfur analyzer suitable for on-site applications released
Responding to the need for curbing sulfur-derived air pollutants
HORIBA, Ltd. has released a new portable sulfur analyzer, the SLFA-60. Sulfur analyzers are used to measure sulfur compounds present in heavy oil, gasoline, diesel oil etc. as impurities that convert to toxic gases. Shale oil, a promising alternative to crude oil, can contain high concentrations of impurities, including sulfur. Sulfur analyzers thus serve in quality management of petroleum products. This new analyzer can determine the sulfur content of shale oil, as well as of conventional crude oil, and has a measurement range twice that of previous models. Featuring compact and portable design, the SLFA-60 enables on-site measurement and analysis at oil drilling sites, plants and other locations, enhancing efficiency in resource development and quality management of petroleum products.
Because crude oil contains sulfur and other impurities, petroleum products containing sulfur components can be a source of hazardous sulfur oxide emissions, leading to air pollution, acid rain and other environmental problems. In order to control sulfur concentration in refined petroleum products, a catalytic chemical process (hydro-desulfurization) is used to remove sulfur compounds during refining.
Shale oil is attracting global attention as an alternative source of energy. On the basis of large deposit estimates, exploration efforts are under way, particularly in the United States, Russia and China, as well as in the Middle East and Asia. Shale oil sometimes has a higher content of impurities, including sulfur present in the sedimentary rock, than crude oil. Increasing demand is foreseen for measuring devices that can handle higher concentrations than conventional measuring equipment for petroleum refinery plants.
This new high concentration sulfur analyzer with a measurement range twice that of conventional models for petroleum products can be used not only for the refining management of shale oil, a promising new energy source, but also in crude oil drilling, oil storage and other upstream processes in the petroleum industry.
While the mainstream sulfur analyzers conventionally used at petrochemical plants are large devices featuring high-accuracy measurement in the low-concentration ranges, this compact, wide-range analyzer offers an on-site, multi-point measurement solution. Horiba is releasing this new product in over 40 countries around the world-- not only in its customary markets in the United States and Europe, but also in Asian and other markets, where the demand for new sulfur analyzers is growing. The Company aims to increase sales by developing new markets through its overseas subsidiaries and by quickly responding to needs arising in the field of energy resource development, as well as in the shale oil industry.
