Mercury in Hydrocarbons

FGS, through rigorous research, has overcome the issues associated with decomposition.  FGS has developed a highly accurate method for the determination of mercury in hydrocarbons.  FGS is able to achieve complete decomposition of hydrocarbons without contamination or loss of analytes through wet-chemical pressure digestion in a high-pressure asher.  Even the most resolute matrices, including tars, asphalts, waxes, and plastics, once fully decomposed, are ideally suited for common mercury analysis methods.

Mercury contamination of hydrocarbons has a significant impact on the petroleum and related industries.  Contaminates accumulate in refinement, transportation, and storage equipment creating serious health and safety concerns for industry workers.  Solid waste, wastewater, and gaseous emissions from the production, processing, and combustion of mercury-contaminated hydrocarbons often require costly remediation to meet environmental regulations.

The value of hydrocarbons contaminated with mercury is often significantly discounted.  The difficulty of completely decomposing samples without contamination of the loss of volatile analytes had made it nearly impossible to accurately determine mercury concentrations in hydrocarbons.  The concentrations of mercury in hydrocarbons have been dramatically overestimated in the past due to the utilization of inaccurate analytical methods with insufficiently low detection limits.

Contact FGS today to find out more our methods and reporting limits.