Petroleum and Chemical Services > Mercury Species Detection in Refinery Feedstock and Products

Mercury Speciation Analysis of Refinery Products and Feedstocks

Measuring the presence of various mercury species in refinery feedstocks requires accurate measurements of mercury concentration and mercury in its various states, in hydrocarbon feedstocks and the distribution of mercury across the boiling range in its various chemical forms. Intertek helps refiners accurately measure mercury in feedstocks and refined products down to ppb and ppt levels.

Different chemical forms of Mercury have their own associated risks for petroleum refineries:

• Elemental Mercuryamalgamates with aluminium alloys, causing materials brittleness in refinery installations
• Organo Mercury species are toxic and require special HSE measures
• Ionic Mercury species are water soluble and have specific implications on preventing the Mercury to spread throughout the refinery. Mercuric Chloride is one of the most toxic forms as it easily forms organo mercury complexes with proteins
• Mercury species can poison catalysts. Platinum and Rhenium catalysts used in catalytic reforming processes are especially sensitive to Mercury

Intertek laboratory provide mercury analysis and mercury speciation techniques to rapidly and accurately detect the presence of mercury species in petroleum feedstocks and refined products. Use of these techniques by trained chemists enable the measurement all classes of mercury species.

• GC-ICP-MS (0.1ppb detection limit)
  • Elemental mercury
  • Dialkyl mercury compounds
  • Monoalkyl mercury compounds
  • Ionic mercury compounds
  • GC/ICP/MS picks up all mercury species except particulates
• Combustion Amalgamation (1 ppb detection limit)
  • Total mercury content
  • Picks up all mercury species including particulates
• Cold Vapour AA/UV spectrometer (1 ppb detection limit)
  • Gas samples
  • Mercury sulphide
  • Technique of choice for aqueous samples