Overview
EN ISO 22854:2025 - titled Liquid petroleum products - Determination of hydrocarbon types and oxygenates in automotive‑motor gasoline and in ethanol (E85) automotive fuel - Multidimensional gas chromatography method - specifies a gas chromatographic (GC) multidimensional method for characterizing hydrocarbons and oxygenates in automotive fuels. The standard covers determination of saturated, olefinic and aromatic hydrocarbons, plus benzene, toluene, oxygenated compounds and total oxygen content in motor gasoline, small‑engine petrol and ethanol (E85) automotive fuel. Although developed for oxygenated automotive fuels, it can also be applied to hydrocarbon streams with similar boiling ranges (e.g., naphthas, reformates).
Key Topics
- Analytical technique: Multidimensional gas chromatography (GC) for separation and quantification of hydrocarbon classes and oxygenates.
- Target analytes: Saturates, olefins, aromatics, benzene, toluene, oxygenates and total oxygen content.
- Procedures: Multiple procedures (A, B and a newly added Procedure C) to accommodate different sensitivity and sample types, including low‑aromatic small‑engine petrol analysis.
- Method components: Instrument conditioning, sample preparation (including dilution and cooling), injection volumes, apparatus tuning, verification, validation and calculation methods (mass and volume fractions, total oxygen).
- Quality requirements: Precision data (repeatability and reproducibility) and reporting requirements have been clarified - particularly for total oxygenates and ethanol contents.
- Harmonization: Technical alignment with existing methods (notably ASTM D6839) and updated precision determined by interlaboratory studies.
Applications
- Fuel quality control: Routine laboratory testing for compliance with fuel specifications (e.g., EN 228) and national/regional regulations.
- Blending and production: Refineries and fuel blenders use the method to verify hydrocarbon type distributions and oxygenate levels during formulation of motor gasoline and E85.
- Regulatory monitoring: Measurement of benzene and toluene for public health and emissions compliance.
- R&D and product development: Analytical tool for developing low‑aromatic or oxygenated fuel formulations and for characterizing naphthas or reformates with similar boiling ranges.
- Small‑engine fuels: Procedure C supports testing of small‑engine petrol where very low aromaticity and trace benzene/toluene limits are required.
Who Should Use It
- Fuel testing laboratories, refineries, fuel blenders, automotive fuel manufacturers, environmental and regulatory laboratories, and standards bodies implementing fuel specifications.
Related Standards
- EN 228 (automotive gasoline specifications) - for conformity and reporting context.
- ASTM D6839 - referenced for method harmonization.
- ISO/TC 28 and CEN/TC 19 work covering petroleum and fuel testing methods.
EN ISO 22854:2025 is essential for accurate GC‑based analysis of hydrocarbons and oxygenates in modern gasoline and ethanol fuels, supporting compliance, quality control and R&D in the fuels sector.