Analyzer for the determination of sulfur in coals and peats

An evaluation has been made of the LECO SC-132 sulfur analyzer for determination of total sulfur in combustible materials such as coals and peats. The principle of the method is conversion of all forms of sulfur to sulfur dioxide and quantitative measurement via infrared adsorption in a constant flow cell. Tests of the sulfur dioxide conversion efficiency indicate that many forms of sulfur are converted to sulfur dioxide by high temperature oxidation in the furnace. Tests have also been performed on the instrument using National Bureau of Standards Standard Reference Materials, demonstrating that the technique is accurate and precise for samples with total sulfur content in the range 500 g - 20 mg, the lower limit being particularly critical for peat samples.