Abstract: An analytical method using tube furnace combustion-ion chromatography for determination of sulfur in diesel fuel was established. Sample was burned in tube furnace and the sulfur compounds were transformed into SO42- by hydrogen peroxide, the sulfur was then determined by ion chromatography. The limit of sulfur detection is 0.11μg/g. The calibration graph is linear within sulfur content of 0.44 ~ 222.22 μg/g (r = 0.9998). Precision and accuracy tests showed that the relative standard deviation is less than 5%. The recovery rates are between 95.50% and 103.60%, and the RSD is 2.29%. This method is little different from the current standard UV fluorescence method. It is suitable for sulfur content detection in diesel fuel.

Key words: tube furnace, ion chromatography, diesel fuel, sulfur content