Determining the biobased content of liquid hydrocarbon fuels using LSC with spiked Carbon-14
4 July 2023
The new ASTM D8473-22 method allows direct biofuel measurements in a single day with Hidex
Using the approved ASTM D8473-22 method, it is now possible to directly measure biobased carbon by liquid scintillation counting without the need for expensive and time-consuming sample preparation procedures. By mixing fuel samples with scintillation cocktail, the Hidex 300 SL allows measurements down to 5% bio-content in 6-10 hours, or 1% bio-content with longer count times. This has been made possible thanks to Hidex’s unique detector system that uses three PMTs instead of two, which is called Triple to Double Coincidence Ratio (TDCR) and allows luminescence free counting for C-14.
Using liquid scintillation counting to measure biofuel has significant advantages over traditional accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS). LSC is inexpensive by comparison and technicians can measure one or two samples every day, making it an ideal solution for inhouse measurements. By comparison, AMS returns results in three days to preclude fast results, demands specialist training to use, and is very expensive.
By measuring the C-14 content of a biofuel sample, it can determine the proportion of renewable or biogenic carbon present in the fuel, allowing the carbon footprint and environmental sustainability to be assessed. The ASTM D8473-22 method can be used by laboratory refineries to support biofeed and petroleum coprocessing or blending operations to determine the biocarbon content of intermediate or finished products.
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You can learn more about ASTM D8473-22 and Hidex liquid scintillation counters by clicking the button below to speak to a product specialist directly.