Determination of Sulphur in diesel fuel (gasoil)
Project Description
In order to meet the new EU air quality standards, car manufacturers are developing new generation of engines however S in fuels can impair the effectiveness of existing and emerging automotive technology (acts as a catalyst poison). Therefore the recent published Directive 2003/17/EC intends to reduce the sulphur levels in fuels and states that in 2005 fuels with maximum sulphur amount contents of 50 and 10 µg·g-1 need to be marketed in the member states.
The sample as proposed for this EUROMET intercomparison will be provided by NIST(USA) and will have an approximate S amount content of 45 µg·g-1 or 1.41 µmol·g-1 in the diesel fuel material. The material is also in use for an ongoing CCQM Key comparison.The aim of this project is to establish and demonstrate international comparability (through traceability) of amount content measurements of S in diesel fuel. These levels of S pose significantly analytical challenges. It will be an important benchmark of national capabilities for accurate measurements at these low levels. Also field laboratories will measure the same sample material as measured by the EUROMET partners (IMEP-18). In this way an overview of measurement capability from laboratories with different metrological function will be displayed.
Final Report 2005-02-01
The EUROMET project 785 is a regional key comparison in the framework of the CIPM MRA. The material measured by the EUROMET partners was also used in the CCQM K35 and measured by 4 NMIs (NIST-USA, BAM-Germany, LGC-United Kingdom and IRMM-European Commission). The material was also offered to field laboratories in the frame of the IMEP interlaboratory comparison programme (IMEP-18). In this way an overview of measurement capability from laboratories with different metrological function can be displayed.
The reference value was taken from the CCQM K35 key comparison:
KCRV for S amount content: 42.2 ± 1.3 mg·kg-1 (k=2)
The EUROMET Project 785 participants’ results are given in table form and as graphical display (see below). Abbreviations used in this report can also be found below.
Results for S amount content in the EUROMET 785 material
| participant | country | reported value mg·kg-1 | reported uncertainty mg·kg | relative uncertainty (%) | Analytical technique |
| Umweltbundesambt | Austria | 40.7 | 3.4 | 8.4 | UVF |
| State Laboratory | Ireland | 43 | 0 | 0.0 | EDXRF |
| Latvian Certification Centre | Latvia | 40.2 | 6 | 14.9 | WDXRF |
| Oberzolldirektion | Switzerland | 41 | 4 | 9.8 | UVF |
List of used acronyms and abbreviations
| CIPM-MRA | Comité International des Poids et Mesures – Mutual Recognition Agreement |
| CCQM | Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (EN) |
| Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (FR) | |
| NMI | National Metrology Institute |
| NIST | National Institute for Standards and Technology |
| USA | United States of America |
| BAM | Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und-prüfung |
| LGC | Laboratory of the Government Chemist |
| IRMM | Institute for References Materials and Measurements |
| IMEP | International Measurement Evaluation Programme |
| KCRV | Key comparison reference value |
| UVF | Ultra-violet Fluorescence |
| EDXRF | Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence |
| WDXRF | Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence |