Tester provides analysis of fuel's oxidation stability.

Press Release Summary:



With PetroOXY Tester, fuel producers and terminal facilities can monitor and control fuel's oxidation stability. Unit features hermetically sealed test chamber in which 5 ml sample is combined with oxygen at pressure of 700 kPa and heated to temperature of 140°C. Test conditions initiate fast artificial aging process, which is measured by pressure drop within chamber. Time needed to achieve fixed pressure drop is directly related to oxidation stability of fuel.



Original Press Release:



PetroOXY Oxidation Stability Testing Method Offers Substantial Analytical and Productivity Improvements



ALBANY, NY - Biodiesel fuels pose many unique quality issues. Unfortunately, many test methods developed for petro-diesel have proven unsatisfactory for bio-diesel and blends containing bio-diesel. Unlike petro-diesel, the physical and chemical properties of biodiesel fuel vary with both the refining process employed and the feedstock from which it is produced.

Bio-diesel also is more susceptible to degradation during storage than petro-diesel. Un-saturated fatty acid methyl ester components significantly decrease the oxidative stability of the fuel. Oxidative degradation results in the plugging of filters and the formation of sludge polymers throughout the entire fuel system. With the blending bio-diesel into petro-diesel and the complexity of modern sophisticated fuel injection systems (e.g. pump-jet, common rail) oxidation stability has become a very important quality parameter for the strategic storage of large quantities of fuel.

The most commonly used test method for bio-diesel and blends is EN14 112. This method determines oxidation stability through a combination of distillation and conductivity. As a consequence, only the highly volatile oxidation products are detected. Non-volatile oxidation products, such as gums, remain undetected, and the results obtained using this method offer an incomplete analysis of the sample's oxidation stability. Interpreting EN 14 112 results require at least partial analysis by highly skilled personnel. Additionally, utmost cleanliness is required to properly perform this test method, and the cleaning process is often considered problematic by those performing the tests.

Responding to a demand from the US gasoline industry, the PetroOXY Oxidation Stability Tester was developed by Petrotest GmbH based upon the oxidation stability according to ISO 7536-ASTM D 525-IP 40. Unlike 14 112, results from the PetroOXY method include all volatile and non-volatile oxidation products thereby providing a complete analysis of the sample's oxidation stability.

With the new PetroOXY tester, fuel producers and terminal facilities have a powerful new tool for the monitoring and control of their fuel's oxidation stability. The key features of this new technology are much faster test times (typically less than an hour) as compared with traditional test methods, clear and easily understood results, excellent repeatability and reproducibility, simple sample handling and small sample size, improved user safety, a simple cleaning procedure and automatic operation.

The compact PetroOxy tester features a small hermetically sealed test chamber with which a 5 ml sample is combined with oxygen at a pressure of 700 kPa (approx. 7 bar) and heated to a temperature of 140oC. These test conditions initiate a very fast artificial aging process, which is measured by a pressure drop within the chamber. The time needed to achieve a fixed pressure drop is directly related to the oxidation stability of the fuel.

The PetroOXY tester is able to precisely discriminate between different fuel samples with substantially greater repeatability and reproducibility. Fuel producers and blenders are better able to optimize the amount of additives they mix into their fuels, allowing them to evaluate the performance of new blends faster and with greater sensitivity and precision. Refinery labs and production control personnel can effectively reduce their reaction times to process and feedstock changes.

Test times can be reduced even further with the PetroOXY method simply by elevating the test temperature. It also is possible to perform quick, spot checks whenever the stability of a fuel is under suspicion as well as for strategic and routine monitoring of stored fuels.

The PetroOXY Oxidation Stability Tester is available in North America from AMETEK Petrolab, which is a unit of AMETEK Measurement & Calibration Technologies, a division of AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME) a leading global manufacturer of electromechanical devices with annualized sales of more than $2.1 billion.

For more information, contact AMETEK Petrolab / T&CI-A 7A Campus Road, Suite 310, Albany, NY 12206. Phone: 518-689-0222. Fax: 518-689-0225. Web site: www.petrolab.com

CONTACT: Angel Schell (518) 689-0222

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