ASTM D5307 Determination of Boiling Range Distribution of Crude Petroleum by Gas Chromatography
4. Summary of Test Method
4.1 The crude oil sample is diluted with carbon disulfide, and the resulting solution is injected into a gas chromatographic column that separates hydrocarbons in boiling point order. The column temperature is raised at a reproducible, linear rate, and the area under the chromatogram is recorded throughout the run. Boiling points are assigned to the time axis by comparison to a calibration curve obtained under the same chromatographic conditions by running a mixture of n-paraffins of known boiling point through a temperature of 538°C (1000°F). The amount of sample boiling above 538°C is estimated by means of a second analysis of the crude oil to which an internal standard has been added. From these data, the boiling range distribution of the water-free sample is calculated.
5. Significance and Use
5.1 The determination of the boiling range distribution is an essential requirement in crude oil assay. This information can be used to estimate refinery yields and, along with other information, to evaluate the economics of using one particular crude as opposed to another.
5.2 Results obtained by this test method are equivalent to those obtained from Test Method D2892. (See Appendix X1.)
5.3 This test method is faster than Test Method D2892 and can be used when only small volumes of samples are available. Also, this test method gives results up to 538°C while Test Method D2892 is limited to 400°C.
