API gravity

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The American Petroleum Institute gravity, or API gravity, is a measure of how heavy
or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water. If its API gravity is greater than 10,
it is lighter and floats on water; if less than 10, it is heavier and sinks. API gravity is
thus a measure of the relative density of a petroleum liquid and the density of water,
but it is used to compare the relative densities of petroleum liquids. For example, if
one petroleum liquid floats on another and is therefore less dense, it has a greater API
gravity. Although mathematically API gravity has no units (see the formula below), it
is nevertheless referred to as being in “degrees”. API gravity is graduated in degrees
on a hydrometer instrument and was designed so that most values would fall between
10 and 70 API gravity degrees.

Contents
[hide]
 1 History of development
 2 API gravity formulas
 3 Measurement of API gravity from its density
 4 Direct Measurement of API gravity (Hydrometer method)
 5 Classifications or grades
 6 See also
 7 References

 8 External links

[edit] History of development

The U.S. National Bureau of Standards in 1916 established the Baumé scale (see
degrees Baumé) as the standard for measuring specific gravity of liquids less dense
than water (see density of water). Investigation by the U.S. National Academy of
Sciences found major errors in salinity and temperature controls that had caused
serious variations in published values. Hydrometers in the U.S. had been
manufactured and distributed widely with a modulus of 141.5 instead of the Baumé
scale modulus of 140. The scale was so firmly established that by 1921 the remedy
implemented by the American Petroleum Institute was to create the API Gravity scale
recognizing the scale that was actually being used.

[edit] API gravity formulas

The formula used to obtain the API gravity of petroleum liquids is thus:
Conversely, the specific gravity of petroleum liquids can be derived from the API
gravity value as

Thus, a heavy oil with a specific gravity of 1.0 (i.e., with the same density as pure
water at 60°F) would have an API gravity of:

[edit] Measurement of API gravity from its density

To derive the API gravity from the density, the density is first measured using either
the hydrometer, detailed in ASTM D1298 or with the oscillating U-tube method
detailed in ASTM D4052. Density adjustments at different temperatures, corrections
for soda-lime glass expansion and contraction and meniscus corrections for opaque
oils are detailed in the Petroleum Measurement Tables, details of usage specified in
ASTM D1250. The specific gravity is then calculated from the formula below and the
API gravity calculated from the first formula above.

[edit] Direct Measurement of API gravity

(Hydrometer method)
This method of measurement is similar to the method above except that the
hydrometer is graduated with API gravity units instead. This method gives the
advantages of field testing and on-board conversion of measured volumes to volume
correction. This method is detailed in ASTM D287.

[edit] Classifications or grades

Generally speaking, oil with an API gravity between 40 and 45 commands the highest
prices. Above 45 degrees the molecular chains become shorter and less valuable to
refineries.[1]

Crude oil is classified as light, medium or heavy, according to its measured API
gravity.

Light crude oil is defined as having an API gravity higher than 31.1 °API

Medium oil is defined as having an API gravity between 22.3 °API and 31.1 °API

Heavy oil is defined as having an API gravity below 22.3 °API.

Not all parties use the same grading.[2] The United States Geological Survey uses
slightly different definitions.[3] Simply put, bitumen sinks in fresh water, while oil
floats.

Crude oil with API gravity less than 10 °API is referred to as extra heavy oil or
bitumen. Bitumen derived from the oil sands deposits in the Alberta, Canada area has
an API gravity of around 8 °API. It is 'upgraded' to an API gravity of 31 °API to 33
°API and the upgraded oil is known as synthetic crude.

Baumé scale
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The Baumé scale is a pair of hydrometer scales developed by French pharmacist

Antoine Baumé in 1768 to measure density of various liquids. Notated variously as
degrees Baume, degrees Baumé; B°, Be°, Bé°, Baume. One scale measures the
density of liquids heavier than water and the other, liquids lighter than water. The
Baumé of plain water would be 0.

Contents
[hide]
 1 Conversions
 2 Definitions
 3 Other scales
 4 Use
 5 References

 6 Further reading

[edit] Conversions
At 20 °C, the relationship between specific gravity (s.g.) (relative density) and
degrees Baumé is

 For liquids denser than water: s.g. = 145 ÷ (145 - degrees Baumé);
 For liquids less dense than water: s.g. = 140 ÷ (degrees Baumé + 130).

An older version of the scale for liquids heavier than water, at a reference temperature
of 15.5 °C, uses 144.32 rather than 145.

[edit] Definitions
Baumé degrees (heavy) originally represented the percent by mass of sodium chloride
in water at 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 °C). Baumé degrees (light) was calibrated
with 0°Bé (light) being the density of 10% NaCl in water by mass and 10°Bé (light)
set to the density of water.

[edit] Other scales

Because of vague instructions or errors in translation a large margin of error was
introduced when the scale was adopted. The API gravity scale is a result of adapting
to the subsequent errors from the Baumé scale. The Baumé scale is related to the
Balling, Brix, Plato and 'specific gravity times 1000' scales.

[edit] Use
Before standardization on specific gravity around the time of World War II the
Baumé scale was generally used in industrial chemistry and pharmacology for the
measurement of density of liquids. Today the Baumé scale is still used in various
industries such as brewing, sugar beet processing and winemaking.