Petrol Fuel Quality Standard
The information contained in the following pages is of a general nature only and should be read in conjunction with the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000, the Fuel Quality Standards Regulations 2001 and the Fuel Standard (Petrol) Determination 2001. Fuel suppliers may wish to seek legal advice about their obligations under this legislation.
Environmental Standards
The first suite of national fuel standards, which came into force on 1 January 2002, regulates petrol parameters that have a direct impact on the environment ('environmental standards').
The standards have been implemented to reduce the amount of toxic pollutants in vehicle emissions, such as benzene and particles, with studies estimating reductions of up to 50 per cent for some pollutants over 20 years. This is great news for our health, with cleaner air helping to reduce the number of serious respiratory illnesses and asthma cases, particularly in children.
A national fuel grade standard for ethanol that can be blended with petrol up to a maximum level of ten per cent was introducted on 28 June 2008.
Operability Standards
A second suite of national fuel standards came into force on 16 October 2002. These standards ('operability standards') address those parameters of petrol that do not have a direct impact on emissions but, if not controlled, can have adverse impacts on the efficient operation of the engine.
Summary Table
The environmental and operability standards are consolidated in the following tables. The legal instrument implementing the petrol standard is:
| Parameter | National standard | Grade | Date of effect | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sulfur | 500 ppm (max) | ULP/LRP | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D5453 |
| 150 ppm (max) | PULP | |||
| 150 ppm (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-05 | ||
| 50 ppm (max) | PULP | 1-Jan-08 | ||
| Research octane number (RON) | 91.0 RON (min) | ULP | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D2699 |
| 95.0 RON (min) | PULP | |||
| 96.0 RON (min) | LRP | |||
| Distillation | Final boiling point 210°C (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-05 | Not specified |
| Olefins | 18% pool average over 6 months with a cap of 20% | All grades | 1-Jan-04 | ASTM D1319 |
| 18% max by vol | All grades | 1-Jan-05 | ||
| Aromatics | 45% pool average over 6 months with a cap of 48% | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D1319 |
| 42% pool average over 6 months with a cap of 45% | 1-Jan-05 | |||
| Benzene | 1% max by vol | All grades | 1-Jan-06 | ASTM D5580 |
| Lead | 0.005g/L (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D3237 |
| Oxygen | 2.7% m/m (max) | All grades (no ethanol) |
1-Jan-02 | ASTM D4815 |
| 3.9% m/m (max) | All grades (with ethanol) |
1-Nov-07 | ||
| Ethanol * | 10% v/v (max) | All grades | 1-Jul-03 | ASTM D4815 |
| Phosphorus | 0.0013g/L (max) | ULP, PULP | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D3231 |
| MTBE (Methyl tertiary-butyl ether) |
1% by volume (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-04 | ASTM D4815 |
| DIPE (Di-isopropropyl ether) |
1% by volume (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D4815 |
| TBA (Tertiary butyl alcohol) |
0.5% by volume (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D4815 |
| Motor Octane Number (MON) | 85.0 (min) | PULP | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D2700 |
| 81.0 (min) | ULP | 16-Oct-02 | ||
| 82.0 (min) | LRP | 16-Oct-02 | ||
| Copper Corrosion (3 hrs @ 50ºC) |
Class 1 (max) | All grades | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D130 |
| Existent Gum (washed) | 50 mg/L (max) | All grades | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D381 |
| Induction Period | 360 minutes (min) | All grades | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D525 |
The additives Ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), Tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME) and Ethyl tertiary amyl ether (ETAE) are not included in the standard. In accordance with the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 all industrial chemicals, including ETBE, TAME and ETAE imported into or manufactured in Australia are required to be listed on the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS). Potential importers or manufacturers of these chemicals should contact the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) for further information.
* Standard for Ethanol (up to ten per cent ethanol blended with petrol)
| Parameter | Specification | Date of effect | Test Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acidity (as acetic acid CH3COOH) | 0.007% mass by mass | 28 June 08 | ASTM D1613 |
| Appearance | Ethanol must be clear and bright and visibly free of suspended or precipitated contaminants |
28 June 08 | ASTM D4806 |
| Copper | 0.1 mg/kg | 28 June 08 | ASTM D1688A (as modified in ASTM D4806) |
| Denaturant | Denaturant must be no less than 1% volume by volume and no more than 1.5% volume by volume |
28 June 08 | ASTM D5501 |
| Ethanol | Ethanol content must not be less than 95.6% volume by volume | 28 June 08 | ASTM D5501 |
| Inorganic Chloride | 32 mg/L | 28 June 08 | ASTM D512C (as modified in ASTM D4806) |
| Methanol | 0.5% volume by volume | 28 June 08 | ASTM D5501 |
| pHe | pHe value must be no less than 6.5 and no more than 9.0 | 28 June 08 | ASTM D6423 |
| Solvent washed gum | 5.0 mg/100 ml | 28 June 08 | ASTM D381 |
| Sulfate | 4 mg/kg | 28 June 08 | ASTM D4806 Annex 1 |
| Sulfur | 30 mg/kg | 28 June 08 | ASTM D5453 |
| Water | 1.0% volume by volume | 28 June 08 | ASTM E203 |
Key
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window