ABSTRACT
The method for separation and determination of sulfur compounds in catalytic diesel oil by gas chromatography with atomic emission detector (GC-AED) was established. More than 130 sulfur compounds (including alkyl thiophenes, benzothiophene, alkyl benzothiophenes, dibenzothiophene, alkyl dibenzothiophenes) in catalytic diesel oil were qualified based on the retention time of some pure sulfur compounds and the retention indexes of sulfur compounds. The effects of oven temperature, heating rate and sample amount on resolution and effective plate number were investigated. Retention indexes of different sulfur compounds under temperature programmed condition were calculated. The relative standard deviations of peak areas of main sulfur compounds in catalytic diesel oil were no more than 5.0%, detection limit for sulfur was 0.1 mg/L under chosen conditions. Because response factor was independent on the molecule structure of the sulfur-containing compound, the content of each sulfur compound was determined quantitatively using thiophene as sulfur standard sample. The linear range was 2 mg/L-1,000 mg/L sulfur, and the correlation coefficient was 0.997. The method is successfully applied for the determination of the contents of sulfur compounds in six different catalytic diesel oils (Fujian catalytic diesel oil, Yanshan catalytic diesel oil, Zhongdong diesel oil, Zhenhai catalytic diesel oil, Zhenhai Changsan oil and Zhenhai Changer oil). Distributions of sulfur compounds in different catalytic diesel oils were obtained by GC-AED.
