ASTM D3606

ASTM D3606 – Standard Test Method for Determination of Benzene and Toluene in Spark Ignition Fuels by Gas Chromatography

Description:

Significance and Use

5.1 Knowledge of the concentration of benzene may be required for regulatory use, control of gasoline blending, and/or process optimizations.

Scope

1.1 This test method covers the quantitation in liquid volume percent of benzene and toluene in finished motor and aviation spark ignition fuels by gas chromatography. This test method has two procedures: Procedure A uses capillary column gas chromatography and Procedure B uses packed column gas chromatography. Procedures A and B have separate precisions.

1.2 The method has been evaluated for benzene using a D6300-compliant Interlaboratory Study (ILS), with the lowest and highest ILS sample concentration means as follows: (1) Procedure A between 0.12 % and 5.2 % by volume and (2) Procedure B between 0.10 % and 5.0 % by volume.

1.3 The method has been evaluated for toluene using a D6300-compliant Interlaboratory Study (ILS), with the lowest and highest ILS sample concentration means as follows: (1) Procedure A between 0.4 % and 19.7 % by volume, and (2) Procedure B between 2.0 % and 20.0 % by volume.

1.4 For reporting, the lowest and highest concentration ranges for benzene and toluene for Procedure A of this test method per Practice D6300 see 13.2.

1.5 For reporting, the lowest and highest concentration ranges for benzene and toluene for Procedure B of this test method per Practice D6300 see 25.2.

1.6 For benzene by Procedure A, the following oxygenated fuels are included in the working range: (1) ethanol up to 20 % by volume (E20); (2) methanol up to 10 % by volume (M10). Fuels M85 and E85 were excluded.

1.7 For benzene by Procedure B the following oxygenated fuels are included in the working range: (1) ethanol up to 20 % by volume (E20); (2) methanol up to 10 % by volume (M10). Fuels M85 and E85 were excluded.

1.8 For toluene by Procedure A the following oxygenated fuels were included in the working range: (1) ethanol up to 20 % by volume (E20); (2) M85 and E85.

1.9 For toluene by Procedure B the following oxygenated fuels are included in the working range: (1) ethanol up to 20 % by volume (E20); (2) M85 and E85.

1.10 Procedure A uses MIBK as the internal standard. Procedure B uses sec-butanol as the internal standard. The use of Procedure B for fuels containing blended butanols requires that sec-butanol be below the detection limit in the fuels as sec-butanol is an internal standard. For Procedure B, an alternative separation column set described in the annex (A2.3, Annex Approach B) uses MEK as the internal standard when butanols may be blended into gasolines.

1.11 This test method includes a between method bias section for benzene based on Practice D6708 bias assessment between Test Method D3606 Procedure B and Test Method D5769. It is intended to allow Test Method D3606 Procedure B to be used as a possible alternative to Test Method D5769. The Practice D6708 derived benzene correlation equation is applicable for benzene measurements in the reportable range from 0.06 % to 2.76 % by volume as reported by Test Method D3606 Procedure B (see 27.2.1). The correlation complies with EPA’s Performance Based Measurement System (PBMS).

1.12 Correlation equations are included in the between test methods bias section 14.2.1 of Procedure A to convert Procedure A to the Procedure B volume percent values for benzene and toluene. The correlations are applicable in the concentration ranges of 0.07 % to 5.96 % by volume for benzene and 0.36 % to 20.64 % by volume for toluene as reported by Procedure A.

1.13 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.