X-ray Transmission / Absorption (XRT / XRA) Method

X-ray Transmission (XRT) gauging has long been an accepted technique for the measurement of total sulfur (S) in heavy hydrocarbon process streams. Whether used for pipeline switching, crude oil blending or to assay or blend marine and bunker fuels, the Rigaku NEX XT XRT process analyzer is well suited to rigorous process environments, with pressures up to 1480 psig and temperature up to 200°C. X-ray transmission gauging involves measuring the attenuation of a monochromatic X-ray beam at a specific energy (21 keV) that is specific to sulfur (S). In practice, a process stream passes through a flowcell where sulfur (S), in the hydrocarbon matrix, absorbs X-rays transmitted between an X-ray source and detector. The recorded X-ray intensity is inversely proportional to the sulfur concentration, thus the highest sulfur levels transmit the least X-rays.