ASTM D4054 - Scanning Jet Fuel and Determination of the

Viscosity Borderline Temperature

Relevant for: Producers of new jet fuel and additives for R&D and quality control. Manufacturers of aircraft
and engines, refineries and airports for QC.

For the evaluation of new aviation turbine fuels and fuel additives, viscosity and density at
different temperatures as well as the temperature at which a defined viscosity is reached are
important parameters for economic, ecologic and safety reasons. Anton Paar’s SVM™ 3001
delivers all these parameters from a single syringe.

2 Which instrument is used?

For these tests, SVM™ 3001 in combination with an

external counter cooling device is used. The
instrument features a viscosity and a density
measuring cell which are filled from one syringe. The
instrument can measure all the required points for
kinematic viscosity and density in one go by
performing a Temperature Table Scan (TTS). Further
the viscosity borderline temperature (VBT) can be
calculated automatically.
SVM™ 3001 measures viscosity according to
ASTM D7042 and density according to ASTM D4052
1 Why measure viscosity? respectively ISO 12815.

Besides viscosity and density, jet fuels must fulfill a lot

3 Which samples are tested?
of specifications. Jet A/A-1 are the most common jet
fuels all over the world. They are specified in ASTM
D1655, Def Stan 91-91 and the JIG AFQRJOS (Avi- For this report, following jet fuel samples were tested:
ation Fuel Quality Requirements For Jointly Operated
Systems), whereat the latter is accepted nearly world- Sample

wide. According to these standards, jet fuel viscosity JF-1 Paragon jet fuel viscosity standard
is specified at -20 °C, the density at 15 °C.
N2B Anton Paar/Paragon jet fuel viscosity standard
The so-called viscosity borderline temperature (VBT)
JF-2 Paragon jet fuel viscosity standard
is a safety relevant parameter. It indicates the
temperature, at which a jet fuel has a maximum JF1411 ASTM Jet A/A1 PTP sample
allowed viscosity. This is critical for the pumpability
and sprayability of jet fuels for both turbine engines
and APUs (auxiliary power units). Currently the 4 Sample measurement
Appendix of ASTM D1655 mentions a maximum
viscosity of 12 mm²/s to ensure satisfactory low 4.1 Instrument setup
temperature operation. For measuring the samples, a new method was
ASTM D4054 is a standard practice for evaluation of created by copying and adapting the method
new aviation turbine fuels and fuel additives which “SVM Standard”:
sets a clear framework for fuel and fuel additive  Method name: Jet Fuel Scan D4054
producers. Including engine and aircraft
manufacturers, this helps to cut cost and time, thus  Measurement mode: Temperature Table Scan
streamlining the process. The standard specifies (TTS)
viscosity vs. temperature at -40 °C (or freezing point  Temperatures of: -40 °C, -20 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C,
plus 5 °C, whichever is higher), -20 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C, 60 °C
40 °C. Density vs. temperature is specified at -20 °C,
20 °C, and 60 °C.

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Tip: To get information on the filling quality, set an 4.4 Sample preparation
initial test point at 20 °C as the filling check does not If the sample is not freshly drawn from a production
work below 15 °C. line or elsewhere, homogenizing the test specimen
 Precision class: Precise might improve the measurement repeatability.
 Filling temperature: +20 °C Evaporation influences the results significantly,
therefore open sample containers only as short as
 Equilibration time: 180 s
possible for preparation and sample drawing.
 Automatic prewetting: yes
If possible, slew the sample slowly in the original
 Viscosity borderline settings: 12 mm²/s (typical closed container for some minutes. Otherwise fill
requirement for jet fuels) approx. 100 mL of sample into a glass bottle with a
 Result output: Add the quantity VBT from the tightly closing cap. Tighten the cap to avoid
group VI Calculations. evaporation and contamination. Stir the sample on a
magnetic stirrer at low speed for approx. 5 minutes.

Tip: Some samples may require a longer time for

thermal equilibration. To increase precision, set each 4.5 Filling
temperature point twice or three times. Use only Luer-Lock glass syringes as the single-use
PE/PP syringes are chemically not resistant against
jet fuels.
4.2 Low temperature equipment Remove the filling hose from the measuring cell lock
and attach an adapter Luer/UNF PEEK instead.
To perform temperature scans down to -40 °C, the
Ensure that the measuring cells are leak tight, clean
following equipment is required:
and dry.
 Thermostat able to keep a counter cooling
Fill at least 1.5 mL as first filling. After prewetting refill
temperature of ­15 °C
at least 1 mL or until the sample in the waste hose is
 Coolant: Mixture of 60 % de-ionized water and free of bubbles. The typical amount for valid results is
40 % inhibited glycol (suitable for copper/brass) 4 – 5 mL, where the volume can vary depending on
 Insulated thermostat hoses, as short as possible. the sample.
Refer to the SVM™ X001 Reference Guide.
Although cleaning and filling is intended to be Tip: As there are no automatic repetitions available in
performed at +20 °C, it can be helpful to use pre-dried the scan mode, an additional prewetting before
compressed air for drying the cells to improve and starting the measurement can help to improve the
accelerate the cleaning performance. filling quality. Fill the sample as usual, start the motor
(motor speed button), allow it to run for several
4.3 Calibration seconds and stop it again. Refill 1 mL from the syringe
and start the measurement by tapping Start. Refill
Use only a calibrated instrument. The calibration shall again 1 mL (or until the sample in the waste hose is
be performed periodically using certified reference free of bubbles) when prompted by the SVM™ after
standards. According to ASTM D7042, the reference the normal prewetting.
standards shall be certified by a laboratory, which
meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 or a corres-
ponding national standard. Viscosity standards should 4.6 Cleaning
be traceable to master viscometer procedures. The 4.6.1 Solvents
uncertainty for density standards must not exceed
0.0001 g/cm³. For each certified value the uncertainty It is essential to use a solvent that dries up completely
without residues. Petroleum benzine (hydrocarbon
should be stated (k = 2; 95 % confidence level). Use
solvent, blend of mainly C7, C8, C9 n­alkanes) with a
one or more standard(s) in the viscosity range and at
boiling range of 100 °C to 140 °C is a universal
the temperatures of your sample(s). If required, apply
solvent for cleaning over a wide temperature range.
a calibration correction to improve the reproducibility. Use this solvent as first solvent for rinsing out the
To perform the calibration, refer to the SVM™ X001 sample. To improve drying, use a shot of n­heptane or
Reference Guide. n­hexane as second solvent.
If petroleum benzine is not available in your country,
also n­heptane respectively n­hexane can be used as
single solvent but may need more cleaning cycles.
Typical solvent amount per sample: 6 mL.

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4.6.2 Cleaning 5.1.1 Kinematic viscosity
There is no special cleaning procedure required as Results from TTS with one test point per temperature:
the sample is rather easy to remove. Consider the Sample Temp. ASTM ASTM Dev. to Max. Std.
following hints: [° C] D7042 D445 D445 allowed dev.
Kin.vis Kin.vis % dev. r (2 σ)
 Open the cleaning screen. Observe it during the [mm²/s]
(measured)
[mm²/s]
(reference)
% %

cleaning procedure. It gives helpful information

about the cleaning and drying status of the cells JF-1 -20 5.804 5.766 -0.66 ±0.74 0.22
during the entire procedure. N2B -20 9.082 9.024 -0.64 ±0.75 0.44
 Remove the sample from the cells by sucking it JF-2 -40 13.04 13.02 -0.12 ±0.75 0.40
back into to syringe. This avoids leaking. JF1411 -20 3.379 3.386 0.20 n.a. 0.53
 For cleaning, a plastic syringe can be used.
Table 1: Kinematic viscosity of jet fuels at reference temp. points
 When using a single solvent, it must be volatile
enough to dry up without leaving residues in the
cells. Results from TTS with repeated test points at the
same temperature (N2B standard):
 When using two solvents, perform a final flush with
Sample Temp. ASTM ASTM Dev. to Max. Std.
a drying solvent to remove any residues. [° C] D7042 D445 D445 allowed dev.
r (2 σ)
 Dry the measuring cells until the cleaning value Kin.vis
[mm²/s]
Kin.vis
[mm²/s]
% dev.
% %
turns green and stays steadily green. (measured) (reference)

For details see the SVM™ X001 Reference Guide. N2B -20 9.0185 9.024 -0.06 ±0.75 -0.04
Table 2: N2B improved viscosity precision results
5 Results
Determination of results: 5.1.2 Density
All stated results are obtained from temperature Results from TTS with one test point per temperature:
scans. Scans were performed by measuring each Sample Temp. ASTM D4052 ASTM D4052 Dev.
temperature point once and by measuring the low [° C] density [g/cm³] density [g/cm³] [g/cm³]
(measured) (reference) (meas to ref)
temperature points three times, the other temperature
points twice. Measuring more than once at one JF-1 -20 0.8421 0.8420 0.00009
temperature can improve the reproducibility as well as N2B -20 0.8412 0.8413 -0.00007
the repeatability of the sample.
JF-2 -40 0.8568 0.8567 0.00014
Based on the valid results (n = 11 for normal scans,
JF1411 -20 0.7856 n.a. n.a.
n = 4 for scans with repeated test points), the mean
value and standard deviation for each temperature Table 3: Density of jet fuels at reference temp. points
and for the VBT is calculated and displayed in the
tables below.
Standard deviation, maximum allowed deviation:
Sample Temp. Absol. dev. Max. allowed dev.* Std. dev.
Allowed deviations: [° C] [g/cm³] [g/cm³] r (2 σ)
(meas to ref) (meas to ref) [g/cm³]
The maximum allowed viscosity deviation consists of
±0.35 % measurement uncertainty of the SVM™ 3001 JF-1 -20 0.00009 0.000184 0.00010
± the uncertainty of the standard according to the N2B -20 -0.00007 0.000184 0.00038
certificate. JF-2 -40 0.00014 0.000186 0.00009
The maximum allowed density deviation consists of
JF1411 -20 n.a. n.a. 0.00008
±0.0001 g/cm³ measurement uncertainty of the
SVM™ 3001 ± the uncertainty of the standard Table 4: Density of jet fuels - deviations
according to the certificate.
Results from TTS with repeated test points at the
5.1 Kinematic viscosity and density compared same temperature (N2B standard):
to reference values Sample Temp. ASTM D4052 ASTM D4052 Dev. Std. dev.
[° C] density density [g/cm³] r (2 σ)
[g/cm³] [g/cm³] (meas to [g/cm³]
This section compares results at temperatures (measured) (reference) ref)
providing reference values.
N2B -20 0.8413 0.8413 -0.00005 0.00002
Table 5: N2B improved density precision results

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5.2 Kinematic viscosity and density required by JF-1 jet fuel viscosity standard:
ASTM D4054 Results from TTS with one test point per temperature:
Temp. ASTM D7042 ASTM D4052 Std. dev. Std. dev.
N2B jet fuel viscosity standard: [° C] kin.vis [mm²/s] density [g/cm³] kin. vis. density
r (2 σ) r (2 σ)
Results from TTS with one test point per temperature: [%] [g/cm³]

Temp. ASTM D7042 ASTM D4052 Std. dev. Std. dev. -40 13.010 0.8569 0.22 0.00010
[° C] kin.vis [mm²/s] density [g/cm³] kin. vis. density
r (2 σ) r (2 σ) -20 5.8042 0.8421 0.22 0.00007
[%] [g/cm³]
20 2.1329 0.8129 0.47 0.00004
-40 23.093 0.8556 0.75 0.00020
25 1.9393 0.8093 1.02 0.00008
-20 9.0818 0.8412 0.44 0.00038
40 1.5182 0.7983 0.77 0.00004
20 2.9106 0.8127 0.16 0.00038
60 1.1524 0.7837 0.37 0.00003
25 2.6210 0.8092 0.16 0.00032
Table 8: JF-1 viscosity and density over temperature
40 1.9922 0.7986 0.15 0.00021
60 1.4626 0.7843 0.23 0.00008
Table 6: N2B viscosity and density over temperature

Results from TTS with repeated test points at the

same temperature:
Temp. ASTM D7042 ASTM D4052 Std. dev. Std. dev.
[° C] kin.vis [mm²/s] density [g/cm³] kin. vis. density
Results from TTS with repeated test points at the r (2 σ) r (2 σ)
[%] [g/cm³]
same temperature:
-40 13.057 0.8568 0.01 0.00002
Temp. ASTM D7042 ASTM D4052 Std. dev. Std. dev.
[° C] kin.vis [mm²/s] density [g/cm³] kin. vis. density -20 5.7825 0.8422 0.04 0.00011
r (2 σ) r (2 σ)
[%] [g/cm³]
20 2.1262 0.8130 0.09 0.00002
-40 23.023 0.8556 0.13 0.00002
25 1.9373 0.8093 0.12 0.00001
-20 9.0327 0.8413 0.04 0.00008
40 1.5143 0.7984 0.30 0.00003
20 2.9032 0.8128 0.02 0.00001
60 1.1462 0.7837 0.06 0.00002
25 2.6162 0.8092 0.03 0.00003
Table 9: JF-1 viscosity and density improved precision data
40 1.9906 0.7986 0.04 0.00003
60 1.4624 0.7844 0.04 0.00003
Table 7: N2B viscosity and density, improved precision data

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JF-2 jet fuel viscosity standard: The absolute deviation between the SVM™ 3001
Results from TTS with one test point per temperature: (ASTM D7042) results and the reference values
(ASTM D445) were within the allowed tolerance band,
Temp. ASTM D7042 ASTM D4052 Std. dev. Std. dev.
[° C] kin.vis [mm²/s] density [g/cm³] kin. vis. density for points where reference values were given.
r (2 σ) r (2 σ)
[%] [g/cm³]

-40 13.036 0.8568 0.40 0.00009

5.3 Viscosity borderline temperature (VBT)

-20 5.8104 0.8422 0.29 0.00011 The viscosity borderline temperature is calculated
20 2.1327 0.8129 0.23 0.00004 from two viscosity results which are as close as
25 1.9415 0.8093 0.21 0.00005
possible to the set borderline viscosity. If more than
one result per temperature point is available, a mean
40 1.5192 0.7983 0.32 0.00025 value of the two closest results is used.
60 1.1514 0.7837 0.24 0.00002 The table shows results from both types of
Table 10: JF-2 viscosity and density over temperature temperature scans:
Sample VBT r (2 σ) VBT r (2 σ)
[° C] [%] (rep. temp. (rep. temp.
points) points)
[°C] [%]

JF-1 -38.30 -0.12 -38.25 -0.01

N2B -26.91 -0.46 -27.06 -0.03
JF-2 -38.26 -0.22 -38.25 -0.04
JF1411 -56.21 -0.16 -56.01 -0.03
Table 12: Viscosity borderline temperature of several jet fuels

6 Conclusion

SVM™ 3001 is perfectly suited for determination of

kinematic viscosity, density and VBT (this is the
temperature where the sample reaches a certain
JF1411 jet fuel: viscosity) of jet fuels. Please ensure that equipment
Results from TTS with one test point per temperature: and settings are in accordance with this report (see
section 4, ”Sample measurement”). Viscosity results
Temp. ASTM D7042 ASTM D4052 Std. dev. Std. dev.
[° C] kin.vis [mm²/s] density [g/cm³] kin. vis. density are obtained according to ASTM D7042 and show
r (2 σ) r (2 σ) good repeatability.
[%] [g/cm³]

-40 6.175 0.8005 0.26 0.00008

-20 3.3792 0.7856 0.53 0.00003
20 1.5114 0.7561 0.23 0.00011
25 1.3953 0.7524 0.13 0.00024
40 1.1273 0.7411 0.30 0.00003
60 0.8780 0.7262 0.18 0.00008
Table 11: JF1411 viscosity and density over temperature

Figure 1: SVM™ 3001 low temperature setup

Contact Anton Paar GmbH

Tel: +43 316 257-0
support-visco@anton-paar.com
www.anton-paar.com

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