The stringent parameters the EPA imposes on the diesel engine industry to control hydrocarbon emissions requires precise analytical measurements and techniques. The method employed to measure the low hydrocarbon threshold must give results that are accurate and repetitive regardless of the various experimental conditions. To date, the common method employed is desorption of soluble organic fraction (SOF) using a thermal desorption system coupled with a gas chromatogram (TDS/GC) for analysis. The issues probed in this study are part of a three phase optimization. The first focuses on the detection limits for a varying selection of SOF concentration, and how the concentration affects comparison to a calibration curve. The question of how reliable the SOF calculation with differing concentrations and fuel to lube measurement was then scrutinized to better understand the route to an optimized method. Finally, comparison with partially oxidized fuel lube standards will be used to evaluate possible limitations in discerning fuel/lube species. These evaluations will then be parleyed into an optimized method that is reliable and accurate for SOF measurements.

Determination of the reliability and accuracy of soluble organic fraction (SOF) measurements using gas chromatography

246th National Meeting (2013)

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