Fast and Accurate Analysis of Ethanol and Water Content in Gasoline Blends

PAC, a leading global provider of advanced analytical instruments for laboratories and online process applications, is pleased to announce the release of its next generation PetroSpec QuickSpec, which is an innovative, portable analyzer that delivers simple, fast, and accurate analysis of ethanol and water in gasoline blends. With this latest release, the QuickSpec analyzer expands its analysis range of ethanol, 0.1 vol% to 100.0 vol%, which is crucial for ethanol blending in gasoline and for measuring purity of fuel-grade ethanol. Water can still be measured from 0.01 vol% to 5.00 vol%.

The QuickSpec performs analysis using near-infrared spectroscopy and provides accurate results down to tenths of volume percent. It is also fully automated which makes it easy to use by non-technical personnel.

Compared to the current standard ASTM method, D5501, which uses gas chromatography to analyze the ethanol content, the QuickSpec has several advantages. The gas chromatography method can only be performed in the lab and rarely in the field. Due to the QuickSpec’s portable design, operators are able to determine the purity of the denatured ethanol being delivered to the terminal, in the refinery, or to the blending tank, as well as the ethanol and water levels in finished gasoline blends. In addition, the total analysis time is significantly reduced from around 45 minutes to under 30 seconds. In addition, QuickSpec combines two tests in one, ethanol and water, which would normally require two separate analytical instruments: gas chromatography and Karl-Fischer water analysis.

“With the global consumption of fuel-grade ethanol on the rise, it is necessary for our customers to determine ethanol purity to ensure that the resulting blended fuel is uniform in quality and meets regulatory requirements,” says Larry Spino, PAC PetroSpec Product Manager. “With the expanded ethanol range analysis, PAC customers can now quickly and accurately measure ethanol and water throughout the fuel blending process, which helps them ensure end product quality is within spec and meets industry standards.”