Distillation Range Test of Petroleum Products

Distillation Range Test of Petroleum Products

1. Sample Overview
  Liquid petroleum fractions including gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation kerosene are core refined oil products in the refining industry, consisting of mixtures of various hydrocarbons. Distillation range serves as a critical physical and chemical indicator for petroleum products. It reflects the distribution of light and heavy components within oil samples, which directly affects engine startup performance, combustion efficiency and low-temperature applicability. This test is a mandatory inspection item for refineries, third-party testing institutions and petrochemical laboratories.

2. Test Purposes & Applicable Standards
  Distillation range data verifies whether oil compositions comply with specifications, identifies adulteration issues and validates the performance of fractionation cutting processes. Non-compliant distillation ranges may lead to insufficient engine power, carbon deposition, low-temperature solidification and other operational failures.
The test is implemented in accordance with ASTM D86, ASTM D850, ASTM D1078 international standards, and conducted automatically by the SH6536 Automatic Boiling Point Range Tester.

3. Pre-test Preparation
1. Test Samples: Petroleum distillate specimens such as gasoline, diesel fuel and methanol
2. Main Instrument: SH6536 Automatic Boiling Point Range Tester
3. Consumables & Accessories: 125 mL quartz distillation flask, 100 mL dedicated graduated cylinder, boiling stones, imported PT100 temperature sensors, printing paper

4. Simplified Operating Procedures
1. Accurately measure 100 mL of the test oil sample with the graduated cylinder, transfer it into a clean and dry quartz distillation flask, then add boiling stones.
2. Install the imported PT100 vapor temperature sensor, secure the distillation flask onto the heating station, connect the condensation pipeline and close the heating chamber door; place the dedicated graduated cylinder inside the collection chamber.
3. Enter the parameter setting interface via the touch screen, select the standard program corresponding to the tested oil type, configure heating power, condensation temperature, terminal temperature and cut-off volume parameters, and input sample name and serial number.
4. Tap the start button for fully automatic operation: automatic temperature-controlled heating, closed-loop refrigeration by the compressor for condensation cooling, optical fiber liquid level tracking for recovered volume measurement, and real-time vapor temperature acquisition.
5. The instrument automatically measures local atmospheric pressure to calibrate distillation temperatures. An audio-visual alert will trigger upon test completion; all test data is saved automatically, supporting one-click report printing or data export via USB flash drive.
6. After the instrument cools down to ambient temperature, take out the distillation flask and graduated cylinder for cleaning and drying to prepare for subsequent tests.

5. Data Analysis & Result Evaluation
  The test is performed using the SH6536 Automatic Boiling Point Range Tester, and test results meet the requirements of ASTM D86/D850/D1078 standards.
  Temperature measurement relies on imported PT100 sensors with a measuring range from ambient temperature to 400 °C and a resolution of 0.1 °C. The cold bath temperature is controllable between -5 °C and 60 °C, while the collection chamber ranges from 0 °C to 40 °C, with temperature drift controlled within ±0.5 °C. Errors at all characteristic distillation points satisfy standard requirements.
  Volumetric measurement adopts an optical fiber liquid level tracking system with a measuring range of 0–100 mL, measurement accuracy of ±0.1 mL and minimum stepping increment of 0.01 mL, enabling precise capture of each distillation stage. Built-in automatic atmospheric pressure correction converts measured temperatures to standard values under 101.3 kPa; the inter-group deviation of distillation temperature is ≤0.2 °C even under fluctuating atmospheric pressure to ensure data comparability across test environments.
  The initial boiling point can be detected within 5–15 minutes, and the test from 5 mL residual liquid to final boiling point takes no more than 5 minutes. In six parallel replicate tests, distillation temperature deviation ≤0.5 °C and volume deviation ≤0.1 mL, which outperforms standard specified limits.