PetroChina Company Limited
Methods and devices for detecting mercury isotopes in natural gas

Abstract:

The invention provides a method and device for measuring mercury isotopes in natural gas. The method includes the following steps: (1) primary enrichment: subjecting natural gas to a three-stage cascading absorption with an acidic potassium permanganate aqueous solution, and collecting all of the acidic potassium permanganate aqueous solutions in which natural gas is absorbed in step (1); (2) mercury purification and enrichment: reducing the mercury absorbed in the step (1) to mercury vapor with a stannous chloride solution, and then purifying and enriching the mercury vapor by using an acidic potassium permanganate aqueous solution; (3) detecting the acidic potassium permanganate solution in which the mercury vapor is enriched in step (2) to determine the total mercury content therein; and (4) detecting the acidic potassium permanganate solution in which the mercury vapor is enriched in step (2) to determine the composition/content of stable mercury isotopes therein.