1 Scope

This International Standard specifies a method for the determination of the sulfur content of petroleum products, such as naphthas, unleaded motor gasolines, middle distillates, residual fuel oils, base lubricating oils and components. The method is applicable to products having sulfur contents in the range 0,03 % (m/m) to 5,00 % (m/m).

Heavy metal additives, such as lead alkyls, may interfere with the determination. Elements such as silicon, phosphorus, calcium, oxygen, potassium, zinc, molybdenum, barium and halogens interfere, if present in concentrations of more than a few hundred milligrams per kilogram. Some modern instruments allow the analyst to compensate for matrix and spectral interferences by spectra deconvolution and inter-element correction by multiple regression.

For samples varying in composition of aromatic hydrocarbons and paraffinic hydrocarbons, the ratio of carbon to hydrocarbon in a sample (C/H ratio) may also interfere with the determination, when the ratio of the sample differs by one or more from that of the reference materials from which the calibration is obtained.