Automotive Fuels

Determination of the Content of Poly Aromatics in Diesel Fuel — Summier Grade 2005 —

With the implementation of the 22' Federal Emission Control Ordinance, changed limit values for particulate matter have become effective on January 1st, 2005. According to current knowledge, the compliance with these thresholds will not be possible throughout Germany.

As a short-term measure for reducing the exposure to particulate matter, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety has considered to recommend to the EU Commission that especially the content of poly aromatic hydrocarbons should be reconciled to the demand of the World Wide Fuel Charter for category 4 diesel fuel. This would mean a limit value of max. 2 % m/m of poly aromatics vis-à-vis a limit of 11 % m/m as currently specified by DIN EN 590.

Against this background, DGMK has been asked to provide data on the content of poly aromatics in diesel fuels. This report lists the groups of aromatic hydrocarbons for 16 samples of diesel fuel of the current summer grade of 2005 as an addition to data already available for the product quality of 2000/2001 and 2003.

The results of the diesel fuels investigated in 2005 show that the average content of poly aromatics in diesel fuel has not changed significantly when compared with the values for 2003; in comparison with the data for 2000/2001, the average is reduced by about 30 %.