Analysis of Diesel Oil Samples in Compliance with ASTM D2887 Using the Shimadzu Simulated Distillation Gas Chromatograph System

Significance of the Topic

Simulated distillation by gas chromatography is a pivotal technique for characterizing petroleum fractions such as diesel. It offers rapid, reproducible measurements of boiling range distributions critical for quality control, regulatory compliance and product development in refineries and analytical laboratories.

Study Objectives and Overview

This application note demonstrates the implementation of the ASTM D2887 method using the Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus simulated distillation system. Objectives include verifying calibration accuracy, evaluating diesel sample distillation curves, and assessing repeatability against ASTM interlaboratory tolerances.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The method analyzes petroleum cuts (C5–C44) using the total area simulated distillation approach. Key analysis conditions:

• Column: BPX 1-Sim Dist, 0.53 mm × 10 m, 0.9 μm film
• Temperature program: 35 °C, ramp 15 °C/min to 350 °C, hold 5 min
• Carrier gas: helium at 7 mL/min
• Injector and FID temperatures: 350 °C and 380 °C respectively
• Makeup gas: nitrogen, 30 mL/min; hydrogen 40 mL/min; air 400 mL/min
• Injection volume: 0.4 µL direct injection

Main Results and Discussion

Calibration with two standard mixtures (n-C5–C10 and n-C10–C44) produced well-resolved peaks for carbon numbers up to C44. The diesel sample chromatogram yielded initial boiling point (IBP) and final boiling point (FBP) consistent with reference values. Distillation characteristics at defined volume cuts (5 %, 10 %, …, 95 %) deviated less than ±2 °C from ASTM reference gas oil specifications and fell within interlaboratory tolerances. Overlay of characteristic curves confirms excellent reproducibility and software-assisted comparison simplifies data management for up to 16 samples.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The Shimadzu simulated distillation GC system delivers:

• High throughput and automatable analysis for routine QC
• Enhanced repeatability and compliance with ASTM D2887
• User-friendly software for data comparison and reporting
• Minimal sample preparation via direct injection

This method suits petroleum refineries, contract labs and R&D environments where boiling range profiling is essential.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Emerging developments may include coupling with mass spectrometric detectors for compositional analysis, advanced software modules for big-data trend analysis, and miniaturized GC systems for field-portable distillation testing. Integration with Industry 4.0 platforms could further streamline process control.

Conclusion

The study validates that the Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus simulated distillation system effectively implements ASTM D2887 for diesel analysis. It achieves accurate boiling point distributions, robust repeatability and efficient data handling, meeting rigorous industry standards.

Used Instrumentation

• Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus gas chromatograph
• WBI-2010 direct injection unit
• AOC-20i autosampler
• LabSolutions Distillation GC Analysis Software
• BPX 1-Sim Dist capillary column