ASTM D4176 method for free water and particulate contamination in distillate fuel
ASTM D4176 standard test method for free water and particulate contamination in distillate fuels (visual inspection procedures)
7. Apparatus
7.1 Cylindrical Container, clear-glass, capable of holding 1.0 more or less 0.1 L of fuel and having a diameter of 100 more or less 10 mm.
7.2 Paper Card (Bar Chart), laminated in clear plastic, having five parallel lines of different widths and meeting the following description:
7.2.1 Characteristics of Card Stock, white paper 120 mm by 180 mm long.
7.2.2 Line Color, Width, and Spacing, five black lines of increasing widths, commencing with a line 0.6 mm wide, the second line 1.6 mm wide, and each succeeding line 1.6 mm wider to a maximum of 6.4 mm.
7.2.3 The lines shall be numbered from 1 through 5, with the thinnest line being No. 1.
7.3 A series of standard photographs of the bar chart through samples of differing haze levels, numbered from 1 through 6. Photograph No. 1 is the clearest, while No. 6 represents the densest haze.
7.4 The differences between these haze levels are arbitrary and are not intended to represent equivalent increases in suspended water content or particulates. It is essential, therefore, that only the proper approved photos be used.
7.5 Temperature Sensing Device (TSD), capable of monitoring the observed test temperature to within an accuracy of more or less 0.5°C (more or less 1°F) for use in laboratory tests that require measurements to be made at a specific temperature.
7.6 Temperature-Controlled Bath, of suitable dimensions and capable of controlling the sample container temperature within more or less 0.5°C (more or less1°F) of the desired temperature for laboratory tests that require measurements to be made at a specific temperature.
8. Sampling
8.1 Sampling shall be consistent with the procedures of Practice D4057.
8.2 Draw the sample directly into the sample container using the following procedure:
8.2.1 Be sure the sampling valve is free of loose solid contaminants. If rust or other loose encrustations are present, remove with a cloth; then flush the sampling valve prior to taking the actual sample.
8.2.2 Rinse a clean test container thoroughly with the fuel being sampled. (Warning - Flammable. See Annex A1.1.)
8.2.3 Draw approximately 900 mL of fuel into the container as rapidly as possible. Use a full flush rather than permitting the fuel sample to trickle out.
9. Sample Preparation
9.1 Field Testing - Both Procedures 1 and 2 are to be performed immediately after drawing the sample. Record the approximate sample storage temperature and the approximate ambient temperature at which the test is performed.
9.2 Laboratory Testing:
9.2.1 Do not subsample or transfer the sample to a secondary container. Perform the test with the sample drawn in the original sample container.
9.2.2 Replace the sample container's closure with an air tight closure through which a calibrated temperature sensing device is immersed in the sample. Allow the sample container to equilibrate in a temperature-controlled bath, bringing it to desired test temperature within the allowed tolerance. Periodically agitate the sample in a manner sufficient to homogenize the bulk of the sample (water droplets and particulates, if present, do not need to be evenly dispersed).
9.2.3 Remove the sample container from the temperature-controlled bath, wipe dry with an absorbent material (if a liquid bath is used), and perform the desired procedure(s) with minimal delay after removal. Remove the temperature sensing device after recording the sample test temperature.
