ASTM D6074 Standard Guide for Characterizing Hydrocarbon Lubricant Base Oils
1. Scope
1.1 This guide suggests physical, chemical, and toxicological test methods for characterizing hydrocarbon lubricant base oils derived from various refining processes including re-refining used oils and refining crude oil. This guide does not purport to cover all tests which could be employed. It is the responsibility of the buyer and seller to determine and agree upon the implementation of this guide.
1.2 This guide applies only to base oils and not to finished lubricants.
1.3 This guide is relevant to base oils composed of hydrocarbons and intended for use in formulating products including automotive and industrial lubricants. These base oils would typically have a viscosity of approximately 2 to 40 mm2/s (cSt) at 100°C (50 to 3740 SUS at 100°F).
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D91 Test Method for Precipitation Number of Lubricating Oils
D92 Test Method for Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup
D97 Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products
D130 Test Method for Detection of Copper Corrosion from Petroleum Products by the Copper Strip Tarnish Test
D189 Test Method for Conradson Carbon Residue of Petroleum Products
D445 Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids (and the Calculation of Dynamic Viscosity)
D524 Test Method for Ramsbottom Carbon Residue of Petroleum Products
D664 Test Method for Acid Number of Petroleum Products by Potentiometric Titration
D974 Test Method for Acid and Base Number by Color-Indicator Titration
D1298 Practice for Density, Relative Density (Specific Gravity), or API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Liquid Petroleum Products by Hydrometer Method
D1401 Test Method for Water Separability of Petroleum Oils and Synthetic Fluids
D1500 Test Method for ASTM Color of Petroleum Products (ASTM Color Scale)
D1744 Test Method for Water in Liquid Petroleum Products by Karl Fischer Reagent
D2007 Test Method for Characteristic Groups in Rubber Extender and Processing Oils and Other Petroleum-Derived Oils by the Clay-Gel Adsorption Chromatographic Method
D2270 Practice for Calculating Viscosity Index from Kinematic Viscosity at 40 and 100°C
D2622 Test Method for Sulfur in Petroleum Products by X-Ray Spectrometry
D2887 Test Method for Boiling Range Distribution of Petroleum Fractions by Gas Chromatography
D2896 Test Method for Base Number of Petroleum Products by Potentiometric Perchloric Acid Titration
D3120 Test Method for Trace Quantities of Sulfur in Light Liquid Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Oxidative Microcoulometry
D4052 Test Method for Density and Relative Density of Liquids by Digital Density Meter
D4057 Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
D4059 Test Method for Analysis of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Insulating Liquids by Gas Chromatography
D4175 Terminology Relating to Petroleum, Petroleum Products, and Lubricants
D4291 Test Method for Trace Ethylene Glycol in Used Engine Oil
D4294 Test Method for Sulfur in Petroleum Products by Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry
D4530 Test Method for Determination of Carbon Residue (Micro Method)
D4628 Test Method for Analysis of Barium, Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc in Unused Lubricating Oils by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
D4629 Test Method for Trace Nitrogen in Liquid Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Syringe/Inlet Oxidative Combustion and Chemiluminescence Detection
D4739 Test Method for Base Number Determination by Potentiometric Titration
D4927 Test Methods for Elemental Analysis of Lubricant and Additive Components - Barium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Zinc by Wavelength-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy
D4929 Test Methods for Determination of Organic Chloride Content in Crude Oil
D4951 Test Method for Determination of Additive Elements in Lubricating Oils by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry
D5185 Test Method for Determination of Additive Elements, Wear Metals, and Contaminants in Used Lubricating Oils and Determination of Selected Elements in Base Oils by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP–AES)
D5480 Test Method for Motor Oil Volatility by Gas Chromatography
E 1687 Test Method for Determining Carcinogenic Potential of Virgin Base Oils in Metalworking Fluids
2.2 Government Standard:
EPA8120, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons by GC/MS, EPA SW-846
2.3 Other Standards:
IP 346, Polycyclic Aromatics and Other Species in Petroleum Fractions by Dimethyl Sulfoxide - Refractive Index Method
CEC L-40-A-93 Evaporation Loss of Lubricating Oils (NOACK)
JPI-5S-41-93, Method B, Determination of Evaporation Loss of Engine Oils (Unified NOACK)
29 CFR Part 1910 Hazard Communication; Interpretation Regarding Lubricity Oils, Federal Register, Part 50 (245), pp. 5182–5185.
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions - For definition of standard terms used in this guide, see Terminology D4175 or Compilation of ASTM Standard Definitions.
3.1.1 base stock, n - a hydrocarbon lubricant component, other than an additive, that is produced by a single manufacturer to the same specifications (independent of feed source or manufacturer's location), and that is identified by a unique formula number or product identification number, or both.
3.1.2 base oil, n - a base stock or a blend of two or more base stocks used to produce finished lubricants, usually in combination with additives.
3.1.3 guide, n - a series of options or instructions that do not recommend a specific course of action.
3.1.3.1 Discussion - Whereas a practice describes a general usage principle, a guide only suggests an approach. The purpose of a guide is to offer guidance, based on a consensus of viewpoints, but not to establish a fixed procedure. A guide is intended to increase the awareness of the user to available techniques in a given subject area and to provide information from which subsequent evaluation and standardization can be derived.