Ultra-Low Sulfur Determination in High Purity Base Metals and High Temperature Nickel Base Alloys

Sulfur in very low concentrations can have adverse effects on several alloys, especially high-temperature nickel base alloys. The high-purity metals used to produce these alloys must contain very low levels of sulfur. The determination of sulfur in these materials is routinely performed by the high-temperature-combustion infrared detection method. The LECO® CS444LS is a state-of-the-art analytical instrument that utilizes the high-temperature-combustion infrared-detection method. This paper reviews the key features of the LECO® CS444LS and the important analytical techniques required to produce accurate sulfur data. Peformance data on a variety of high-purity base metals and nickel base alloys is presented.