The Art of Analyzing Mercury in the Oil & Gas World | Naphtha

Liquid hydrocarbons are highly flammable, varying viscosity, flashing point, boiling point, specific gravity, etc. As for mercury, its properties are unlike other heavy metals, and mercury has a relatively higher vapor pressure. Thus it is highly volatile, and it is always an analytical challenge to analyze mercury in different liquid hydrocarbon products.

Properties of Naphtha & Effect of Mercury Contaminant

Naphtha is the lightest liquid fraction refined from crude oil distillation, which is mainly composed of mixtures with 5~12 carbons, with the light cut boiling point ranging from 35~130℃, while boiling point of 130~220℃ for the heavier and aromatic cuts.

Being the vital feedstock to the petrochemical industry, mercury-free Naphtha is highly valuable. The feedstock naphtha is first hydrotreated before being transferred to the catalytic reforming unit. The catalysts are made of precious metals sensitive to mercury and poisoning. Thus, the petrochemical processes have stringent controls on the mercury content in the feedstocks down to low single-digit parts-per-billion (ppb), preventing any foreseen detrimental effects to their processes such as:?

How to ensure accurate analysis of Naphtha?

The key to achieving accurate mercury analysis in Naphtha is to ensure accurate sample volume transfer for all analytical measurements is significant since result concentration is directly related to volume. In addition, sample integrity is exceptionally crucial. One must prevent the loss of analytes (including mercury) from its volatility and analyze the sample quickly and precisely to ensure minimum error.

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