Patent ID: 7214345

Claim:
A portable apparatus for in-field and laboratory measurement of reduced inorganic sulfur content of a sample comprising: a reaction chamber for receiving a sample to be analysed and a selective reducing agent or a precursor of a selective reducing agent that selectively converts the reduced inorganic sulfur of a sample in the reaction chamber to hydrogen sulfide, an acid reservoir for holding an acid for supply to the reaction chamber, detection means for continuously measuring the amount of hydrogen sulfide evolved by reaction of the selective reducing agent with the sample during said reaction, said detection means being selected from the group consisting of a colourimetric detector, an electrochemical gas analyzer, a UV spectrometer and an IR spectrometer, a conduit for supplying hydrogen sulfide evolved in the reaction chamber to the detection means, a controller for controlling operation of the apparatus, said controller controlling (a) operation of the detection means during analysis of the sample so as to measure hydrogen sulfide evolved on a real time basis as a function of time, and (b) calculation of the cumulative concentration of hydrogen sulfide as a function of hydrogen sulfide concentration and flow rate, and a trap for selectively removing hydrogen sulfide from an exit gas stream leaving the apparatus.