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PITTCON 08 Oral Session
Determination of sulfate and chloride in denatured ethyl alcohol according to ASTM D 7319
Session Number 230-19
Abstract
In times of skyrocketing gasoline prices, ethanol fuel—mainly derived from the fermentation of sugar cane (in Brazil) and corn (in the USA and Canada)—is a promising renewable high-octane vehicular fuel. A major drawback, however, is the contamination with inorganic salt ions such as chloride, nitrate and sulfate. These ions can affect engine performance, since precipitating salts and sediments that are formed can clog filters and fuel injector nozzles. Furthermore, these ions induce corrosion in the vehicle components that come in contact with the fuel. Hence, there is an urgent need for standards defining quality specifications and test methods. Of the numerous analytical techniques for the determination of inorganic anions, ion chromatography is best suited in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, automation, ruggedness and flexibility. In view of these advantages, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has approved the ASTM D7319-07 standard test method for determination of total and potential sulfate and inorganic chloride in fuel ethanol by direct-injection suppressed ion chromatography. This paper presents a convenient direct-injection suppressed IC method for determining chloride, nitrate and sulfate in denatured ethanol samples. Irrespective of the presence of denaturants or hydrogen peroxide, the applied suppression technique—the micro packed tri-chamber suppressor—allows for a straightforward determination of anions in the sub-ppm range.
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