DIN EN 15407:2011-05

This European Standard specifies a method for the determination of total carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen contents in solid recovered fuels by instrumental techniques. The method is applicable for concentrations on dry matter basis of C over 0,1 %, N over 0,01 % and H over 0,1 %. The method is based on the complete oxidation of the sample which converts all organic substances into combustion products. The resulting combustion gases pass through a reduction furnace and are swept into the chromatographic column by a carrier gas (helium) where they are separated and detected quantitatively by appropriate instrumental gas analysis procedures (for example by a thermal conductivity detector (TCD)). The samples are held in a suitable container (tin or other crucible) and then dropped inside a quartz tube furnace at about 1 000 °C in an oxygen stream for complete oxidation in the presence of a catalyst layer. Excess oxygen is removed by contact with copper, while nitrogen oxides are reduced to elemental nitrogen. The European Standard has been prepared by CEN/TC 343 "Solid recovered fuels", the secretariat of which is held by SFS (Finland). The responsible German committee is Working Committee NA 062-05-83 AA "Sekundärbrennstoffe" ("Recovered fuels") of NMP.