RAPID AND COST-EFFECTIVE UV–VIS APPROACH FOR SULFUR DETERMINATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH EDXRF AND ICP-OES REFERENCE VALUES

Roland NAGY; Gábor Zoltán NAGY; Rebeka BEJCZI

doi:10.24193/subbchem.2026.3.07

Authors

Roland NAGY University of Pannonia, Faculty of Engineering, Department of MOL Hydrocarbon and Coal Processing; Egyetem srt. 10., Veszprém, H-8200, Hungary. *Corresponding author: nagy.roland.dr@mk.uni-pannon.hu https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2194-1710
Gábor Zoltán NAGY University of Pannonia, Faculty of Engineering, Department of MOL Hydrocarbon and Coal Processing; Egyetem srt. 10., Veszprém, H-8200, Hungary, gznagy@phd.uni-pannon.hu https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4824-6900
Rebeka BEJCZI University of Pannonia, Faculty of Engineering, Department of MOL Hydrocarbon and Coal Processing; Egyetem srt. 10., Veszprém, H-8200, Hungary, https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4164-2755

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbchem.2026.3.07

Keywords:

Sulfur determination, UV–Vis spectroscopy, FAME, EDXRF, ICP-OES, Method comparison

Abstract

The determination of sulfur content in extreme pressure (EP) additives is important for evaluating their performance and quality in lubrication systems. In this study, the feasibility of a rapid and cost-effective UV–Vis spectrophotometric approach was evaluated for estimating sulfur in sulfurized EP additives derived from different organic matrices.
Sulfurized fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), olive pomace oil, and α-olefins were analysed using UV–Vis spectroscopy. A preliminary matrix-matched calibration was established using three FAME-based samples with known sulfur content, and absorbance was evaluated in the 260–360 nm wavelength range. Within the available dataset, 312 nm provided low replicate variability and the most consistent response for subsequent sulfur estimation.
The UV–Vis estimates showed encouraging consistency with previously obtained EDXRF and ICP-OES reference values. However, the limited number and range of calibration levels, extrapolation for the lower-sulfur α-olefin samples, and the relatively high absorbance values restrict the extent of quantitative validation. The proposed procedure should therefore be regarded as a rapid screening and comparative approach that requires further validation before routine quantitative application.

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