Mercury measuring apparatus for measuring mercury contained in sample composed mainly of hydrocarbon

A mercury measuring apparatus for measuring mercury contained in a sample composed mainly of hydrocarbon, which apparatus comprises:

• a column accommodating therein a first adsorbent for adsorbing mercury and a reducing agent for reducing monovalent and bivalent mercury into a metal mercury;
• an injector for injecting the sample into the column;
• a first heating unit for heating the first adsorbent within the column;
• a second heating unit for heating the reducing agent within the column;
• a mercury collecting tube filled with a second adsorbent for adsorbing the metal mercury;
• a third heating unit for heating the mercury collecting tube;
• a mercury measuring unit for measuring by introducing the metal mercury, which is isolated from the mercury collecting tube then heated by the third heating unit, into a sample cell;
• a gas flow path defining one of an injecting and collecting passage for introducing a carrier gas from a gas introducing port so as to flow through the first adsorbent and discharging the carrier gas from a gas discharge port, a reducing and collecting passage for introducing the carrier gas from the gas introducing port so as to flow through the first adsorbent, a reducing agent and a second adsorbent and discharging the carrier gas from the gas discharge port, and a measuring passage for introducing the carrier gas from the gas introducing port so as to flow through the second adsorbent and a sample cell and discharging the carrier gas from the gas discharge port;
• a flow path switching valve for selecting one of the gas flow passages;
• and
• a control unit for controlling the first heating unit, the second heating unit, the third heating unit, the injector, the flow path switching valve and the mercury measuring unit.