EXPLANATION
The pour point of a crude oil is an index of the lowest temperature of handleability for certain applications. The maximum and minimum pour point temperatures provide a temperature window where a crude oil, depending on its thermal history, might appear in the liquid as well as the solid state. This test method can be used to supplement other measurements of cold flow behavior. It is especially useful for the screening of the effect of wax interaction modifiers on the flow behavior of the crude oils. This test method covers two procedures for the determination of the pour point of crude oils down to -36° C. One method provides a measure of the maximum (upper) pour point temperature. The second method measures the minimum (lower) pour point temperature.
TEST SUMMARY
After preliminary heating, the test specimen is cooled at a specified rate and examined at intervals of 3 ° C for flow characteristics. The lowest temperature at which movement of the test specimen is observed is recorded as the pour point.
TEST PRECISION
This procedure has no bias.