ASTM D8110-17 PDF

Full title and description

Standard Test Method for Elemental Analysis of Distillate Products by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP‑MS). This test method (designation D8110‑17) specifies procedures, calibration approaches, and performance expectations for determining trace elements in light and middle distillate petroleum products using ICP‑MS instrumentation.

Abstract

ASTM D8110‑17 defines a multi‑element ICP‑MS procedure to extend elemental determinations in distillate fuels to very low concentrations (low to sub ng/g up to ~1000 ng/g for some elements). It describes sample preparation (direct dilution in organic solvent), use of metallo‑organic calibration standards, recommended isotopes, limits of detection considerations, and notes on particle‑size dependence and interference management for reliable quantitation.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn / superseded (2017 edition superseded by a 2025 revision; D8110‑17 withdrawn 01 April 2025).
• Publication date: Current edition approved May 1, 2017 (published May 2017).
• Publisher: ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials).
• ICS / categories: Petroleum and related technologies — liquid fuels / distillates (commonly indexed under ICS codes for liquid fuels/petroleum products, e.g., 75.160.20 and related petroleum product categories).
• Edition / version: D8110‑17 (2017 edition).
• Number of pages: 13 pages (2017 edition).

Scope

This test method describes the determination of trace elements in light and middle distillate petroleum products by ICP‑MS, including recommended isotopes and a typical concentration range from low/sub‑ng/g to about 1000 ng/g for some analytes. The method uses metallo‑organic (organometallic or organosoluble) calibration standards and does not purport to quantitatively determine insoluble particulates (results are particle‑size dependent). Precision statements are provided for concentration ranges established by interlaboratory studies and may not apply outside those ranges.

Key topics and requirements

• Applicable matrices: light and middle distillate petroleum products (naphthas, diesel fractions, related distillates).
• Sample preparation: organic solvent dilution (direct dilution) and handling to avoid particulate losses.
• Calibration: use of metallo‑organic/organosoluble metal complex standards for calibration and calibration verification.
• Internal standards and QC: recommended use of internal standards, periodic QC checks, and spike/recovery for accuracy verification.
• Analytical range and detection limits: method extends detection capability to low/sub‑ng/g levels; working LOQs are sample‑matrix dependent.
• Interferences and corrections: discussion of spectral, isobaric, and polyatomic interferences, and strategies (mass selection, collision/reaction approaches, dilution) for their reduction or correction.
• Precision and bias: precision statements derived from interlaboratory studies (research report RR:D02‑1858) and guidance on applicability limits for those precision statements.
• Safety and limitations: user responsibility for laboratory safety and recognition that insoluble particulates and large particles may not be quantitatively recovered by this method.

Typical use and users

Used by refinery and fuels quality laboratories, contract testing labs, OEM and additive manufacturers, regulatory and environmental testing bodies, and instrument vendors preparing application notes or method validations. Typical activities include routine QA/QC of distillate fuels, troubleshooting contamination/catalyst poisoning issues, and method development for lower detection limits using single‑quad and triple‑quad ICP‑MS systems.

Related standards

ASTM D8110 is part of the petroleum test method family and cross‑references related ASTM documents for interlaboratory precision, other metal analysis methods, and fuel specifications. Frequently associated/referenced standards and guides include D7778 (interlaboratory study guidance), D3605 (trace metals in gas turbine fuels), D7111 (ICP‑AES methods for trace metals in fuels and lubricants) and fuel specification standards such as D4814/D975 where elemental limits are specified. Users should consult the standard's normative references (Section 2) for the complete, authoritative list for the 2017 edition.

Keywords

ICP‑MS, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, distillate fuels, diesel, naphtha, elemental analysis, trace metals, aluminum, calcium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, potassium, calibration, metallo‑organic standards, detection limits.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASTM D8110‑17 is a Standard Test Method for Elemental Analysis of Distillate Products by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP‑MS), published in 2017 to provide laboratories with a rigorous ICP‑MS procedure for trace element determination in light and middle distillates.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers sample preparation (direct dilution in organic solvent), selection of isotopes and calibration using metallo‑organic standards, recommended QC and internal standard practices, typical analytical ranges and limits, interference management, and precision statements based on interlaboratory testing. The method explicitly notes limitations for insoluble particulates and particle‑size effects.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Fuel testing laboratories, refinery QA/QC teams, contract analytical labs, instrument and consumables suppliers producing application notes, and regulatory bodies setting or checking elemental limits in liquid fuels.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The D8110‑17 edition (approved May 1, 2017) has been superseded by a later revision (ASTM D8110‑25 published in 2025). The 2017 edition was withdrawn on 1 April 2025 when the 2025 revision became the active document; users should adopt the latest (2025) edition for current requirements and any changes introduced since 2017.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — D8110 belongs to ASTM's suite of petroleum product test methods and is related to other ASTM methods for elemental analysis of fuels and lubricants (for example D7111 for ICP‑AES and other D‑series test methods addressing trace metals, sampling, and precision testing practices).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: ICP‑MS, distillate products, trace metals, metallo‑organic calibration, detection limits, fuel quality, elemental impurities.