Determination of Fatty Acids Methyl Esters (FAMEs) in aviation turbine fuel by GCMS Scan/SIM mode as per IP585

User Benefits

・A GC-MS method for the determination of 6 FAMEs in aviation jet fuel as per the proposed IP 585. ・The IP method criteria were met easily with better sensitivity (S/N ratio) for individual FAMEs.

Introduction

Jet Fuels or Aviation Turbine fuels (AVTUR) are petroleum products used to power gas turbine engines in aircrafts. It is a mixture of variety of hydrocarbons and the individual ratios of these hydrocarbons varies based on petroleum sources. Recently there is an increasing trend of blending AVTUR with biodiesel to overcome the excess dependence of petroleum sources. Biodiesels are fuels which are normally produced from plant oils or vegetable fats. Biodiesel consists of shorter or longer chain Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs) which are inherited from the feedstock. The presence of these FAMEs in biodiesel affects the fuel properties of jet fuels. Biodiesel in jet fuel can cause thermal breakdown under storage conditions or during use in aircraft fuel systems leaving deposits which compromise performance and safety. Furthermore, biodiesel freezes at very lower temperatures which is typical at high altitudes. Because of these concerns, IP has regulated the concentration of FAMEs in jet fuels. The maximum permitted level for FAMEs in jet fuel is limited to 50 mg/kg. The method described here is followed based on the directions laid down by IP 585 method. The analysis is performed on Shimadzu GCMS-QP2020 NX(Fig. 1) using Shimadzu StabilwaxTM capillary column.

June 25, 2023 GMT