INTRODUCTION

ASTM Color as specified in ASTM D1500 is a single number color

scale for grading petroleum products. The scale is defined by
16 glass standards of specified luminous transmittance and
chromaticity, graduated in steps of 0.5 from 0.5 for the lightest color
to 8.0 for the darkest. It is intended for a variety of petroleum
products such as lubricating oils, heating oils, diesel fuel oils, mineral
insulating oil and solid petroleum waxes and has been adopted by
other standardizing bodies as listed below.
The lube Oils Comparator is a 3-field instrument for visually
determining the ASTM Color of samples by direct Oils Comparator
comparison with colored glass standards. It incorporates the 16 glass
standards which make up the scale in a pair of discs:
Disc Color Standards
1 0.5,1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5
2 1.0,2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0
With a 3-section field of view, the sample and two adjacent
standards on the ASTM Color Scale are viewed simultaneously,
making it easier to achieve the optimum colour match. For rapid
colour grading within predetermined colour limits, the glass
standards can be set to the two limiting colours, making it easy to
see if the sample is within tolerance. The tungsten halogen light
source is colour corrected to CIE standard illuminant C, which
guarantees constant lighting conditions for colour grading, day or
night and irrespective of ambient lighting
THEORY
Most people presume petroleum to be similar to gasoline or petrol,
simply a less pure form, which needs to be refined. In actuality the
chemical composition of petroleum in its raw state can vary
extremely. This variation is the reason why petroleum composition
differs so much in color and viscosity between crude oil fields and
geographical areas.
Petroleum, or crude oil as it is now usually referred too when raw,
contains several chemical compounds, the most prolific being the
hydrocarbons themselves which give the petroleum composition its
combustible nature.
Although the composition of petroleum will contain many trace
elements the key compounds are carbon (93% – 97%), hydrogen
(10% - 14%), nitrogen (0.1% - 2%), oxygen (0.1% - 1.5%) and Sulphur
(0.5% - 6%) with a few trace metals making up a very small
percentage of the petroleum composition.
The actual overall properties of each different petroleum source are
defined by the percentage of the four main hydrocarbons found
within petroleum as part of the petroleum composition.
The percentages for these hydrocarbons can vary greatly, giving the
crude oil a quite distinct compound personality depending upon
geographic region. These hydrocarbons are typically present in
petroleum at the following percentages: paraffin’s (15% - 60%),
naphthenic (30% - 60%), aromatics (3% to 30%), with asphaltic
making up the remainder. The composition of petroleum is defined
as laid out above, and it is this composition which gives the crude oil
its properties.
OBJECTIVE
Use the graduations in color to estimate the composition
of unknown mixture

TOOLS
1.Beaker
2.Test Tube
3. ASTM Color Scale (ASTM D1500)

MATERIALS
1.Lube Oil
2.Diesel

PROCEDURE
1.Turn The Device On
2.Prepare The Diesel-Oil Lupe Samples in Different Composition
2.Put The Standard Solution in The Right Place in The Device
3. Put The Diesel-Oil Mixture in The Right Place in The Device
4.Set The Device On the Minimum Color Level (0)
5.Look Through the Scope and Raise Color Level Gradually
6.Record The Color Level to The Closest Color of Standard Solution
7.Repeat (3-6) For The Other Mixtures
CALCULATIONS

Y = a + bX
a = (ΣY –bΣX) /n
b = (nΣXY – ΣX*ΣY)/(nΣX² - (ΣX)²)

Xi Yi Xi² XiYi
0 2 0 0
0.2 3 0.04 0.6
0.4 4 0.16 1.6
0.6 4.5 0.36 2.7
0.8 5 0.64 4
1 6 1 6
∑3 ∑24.5 ∑2.2 ∑14.9

b = 3.78
a = 2.19
y = 2.19+3.78x
at y = 3.5
x = 32.5%
 UNIVERSITY OF BASRA
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING COLLEGE