Petroleum Refractometer

Petroleum Refractometer Industry Description

The petroleum industry is standardized through ASTM methods, and the key is having a refractometer that meets the specifications of ASTM.. For Refractive Index(RI) measurements this mostly means ASTM D1218, D2140, and D1747. Compliance with D1218 is for measurement at temperatures between 20°C and 30°C and is mostly used for light hydrocarbons. D1747 is for measurements up to 100°C and is often used for crude oils and other process streams. ASTM is very strict with temperature as these types of samples generally have a very much larger dn/dt value than the water / sugar samples used in food.

Reasons to Choose Rudolph

Reflectance style measurement system allows the instrument to measure samples much darker than a traditional Abbe style
refractometer can.
Temperature control allows the instrument to be calibrated with traceable references to meet ISO and similar standards.
Flat, easy clean, prism means better results even when used by non-laboratory trained operators.
Compliance with D1218 / D2140 is for measurement at temperatures between 20°C and 30°C for light hydrocarbons as well as D1747 is for measurements up to 100°C for crude oils

Typical Rudolph Users

ExxonMobil uses the J457 at 67° C to check a process stream.
SGS uses Rudolph refractometers for custody transfer checking.
Sinopec uses the J357 petroleum refractometer for research and development.

Refractometer Selections by Industry

Petroleum Refractometers for the Petro-Chemical Industry.

Selecting the right refractometer for the demands of the Petroleum and Petro-Chemicals industry. Do you measure…

Waxes
ASTM D1747
Oils

WU
Additives
Lubricants

Petroleum Refractometer Feature Highlight

The Rudolph Research Analytical J357 is able to control temperature to 100°C because it has a unique dual temperature control system where heat is
applied to both sides of the sample.

Rudolph J357 However, there are still applications where temperatures above 100°C are needed. To accommodate the need to measure above 100°C, the Temperature Boost (TB) option was developed for the J357 Refractometer Series.

The Temperature Boost (TB) option provides two benefits:

The maximum temperature of the refractometer is increased from 100°C to 110°C.
The maximum temperature of the temperature control system is increased to 120°C for a period of 60 minutes. At the end of 60 minutes the temperature control will shut off and the petroleum refractometer will cool down to ambient temperature for a period of 1 hour.

Model	Specification	Features and Benefits
$Food Refractometer$	Measurement Range: 1.26 – 1.7 RI; 0 – 95% Brix Accuracy:0.0001 RI; 0.1 Brix Electronic Temperature Control: Fixed temperature selection: 20°C and 25°C	The J57WR-UF-SP petroleum refractometer is often combined with Rudolph’s density meter for automated measure of petroleum fuels, oil and waxes. Combining a refractometer with an ECS autosampler eliminates the need for manual loading.
$Refractometer J357$	Measurement Range: 1.26 – 1.70 RI; 0 – 95% Brix Accuracy:0.00004 RI; 0.03 Brix Electronic Temperature Control:Flexible temperature selection between 15°C – 100°C; TB option: allows 15°C – 110°C with one hour boost to 120°C	Designation: D1747-99 Standard Test Method for Refractive Index of Viscous Materials 1. Scope 1.1 This test method covers the measurement of refractive indexes, accurate to two units in the fourth decimal place, of transparent and light-colored viscous hydrocarbon liquids and melted solids which have refractive indexes in the range between 1.33 and 1.60, and at temperatures from 80 to 100°C. Temperatures lower than 80°C can be used provided that the melting point of the sample is at least 10°C below the test temperature. The J357-NDS is able to control temperature to 100°C because it has a unique dual temperature control system where heat is applied to both sides of a sample, meeting the needs of all the ASTM standards. For added flexibility for cloud points occurring closer to 120°C select the TB option. Please contact the factory for help with this option.
$Petroleum Refractometer$	Measurement Range: 1.26 – 1.72 RI; 0 – 100% Brix Accuracy: 0.00002 RI; 0.015 Brix Electronic Temperature Control: Flexible temperature selection between 10°C to 100°C with ±0.01°C reproducibility.	Rudolph’s most capable petroleum refractometer. Perfect for today’s highly regulated laboratories offering full 21CFR Part 11 compliance. Rudolph Research is the first manufacturer to offer Smart Measure™ a system that notifies the operator of the quality and status of the sample load, as well as the sample well status. This assists the operator in producing more accurate readings. It documents that the sample was properly loaded. The J457 is available in 3 configurations J457 SC – Standard Bench-top, J457 WC – Wall Mount, and the J457 FC – Factory Configuration. These configurations allow the measurement unit to be isolated from the display unit, thus protecting it from harsh environments and messy spills.