Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Sulfur in Geological Materials Using Elemental Analysers

This article describes a series of methods developed for the determination of total carbon (CTotal), organic carbon (Corg), hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur. The following elemental analysers were used: LECO model RC-412 for the determination of organic carbon, total carbon and hydrogen; LECO model CS-200 for the determination of total carbon and sulfur; LECO model TN-400 for the determination of nitrogen; and LECO model TruSpec CHNS for the determination of organic carbon, total carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur. Uncertainty and limits of detection and quantification were calculated for each method, as well as the running costs to define the most effective instrument for each material and each analyte. Accuracy was checked by the application of the SutarnoSteger test. Finally, a compilation of the results obtained in the determination of CTotal, Corg, H, N and S in forty-nine reference materials is presented.