Color Determination (ASTM D1500)

Developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the ASTM D1500 standard includes a test method for the visual determination of the color of a wide variety of petroleum products, such as lubricating oils, heating oils, diesel fuel oils, and petroleum waxes.

The full name of this standard is: ASTM D1500-12 (2017) Standard test method for ASTM color of petroleum products (ASTM color scale).

Determining the color of petroleum products is mainly used for production control purposes and is an important quality characteristic as the color of the product is easily observed by the user. In some cases, the color may be an indication of the degree of refinement of the material.

Once the color range of a particular product is known, a change outside of the specified range may indicate possible contamination with another product. However, color is not always a reliable parameter for product quality and should not be used indiscriminately in product specifications.

The ASTM D156 standard provides a method for determining the Saybolt color of petroleum products (the Saybolt chromometer method). The ASTM D1500 standard can be applied to refined products with an ASTM color lighter than 156 determined by the ASTM D0,5 method.

In the test, analysis, measurement and evaluation studies carried out in our organization, national and international standards and applicable legal regulations are complied with and reliable and impartial results are obtained. These studies are based on the latest technological equipment, trained and experienced staff and modern methods. Color determination (ASTM D1500) services are among the numerous tests performed in this context.