Reference Materials

40 CFR 1090 Accuracy and Precision Reference Materials
ASTM Reference Materials are an excellent resource to help you comply with US EPA fuels regulations under 40 CFR 1090. We offer a variety of reference materials, valid as check standards per ASTM D6299, to support your laboratory’s ongoing precision and accuracy demonstration per 40 CFR 1090.1375. Implementing reference materials with reliable accepted reference values allows you to confirm compliance in real-time, reducing the risk and liability of unqualified data being reported to customers and agencies. Our available options provide ARVs in the fuel matrices being tested across a wide range of results, including those at or slightly below the applicable standards, to satisfy 40 CFR 1090.1375(c)(2):
- Vapor Pressure of Gasoline in neat and oxygenated matrices, with ARVs from 5.5 psi to 14.5 psi, including numerous batches at or below the summer season maximum RVP per gallon standards detailed in 40 CFR 1090.215(a)
- Benzene in Gasoline from 0.2 vol % to 1.1 vol %, including options at or below the benzene average standard of 0.62 vol % per 40 CFR 1090.210(a)
- Sulfur in Gasoline and Sulfur in Diesel available with concentrations at or below the respective sulfur standards per 40 CFR 1090.205(a) and 1090.305(b)
- Oxygenates in Gasoline at the 10 % Ethanol blend level
- Aromatics in Gasoline across a range from 18 vol % to 30 vol %
- Olefins in Gasoline across a range from 1 vol % to 12 vol %
- Distillation reference materials with IBPs from 80 °F to 107 °F and FBPs from 350 °F to 425 °F

Octane and Cetane Reference Materials
Demonstrate control and build confidence by implementing ASTM’s combustion characteristic reference materials as part of your QC program. Our selection of combustion characteristic reference materials are ideal for ensuring and monitoring the validity of results to customers and accrediting bodies. Octane and Cetane reference materials are available in typical finished gasoline and diesel product matrices. Octane Number reference materials are available with reliable ARVs across the range from subgrade to midgrade including RON from 85 to 94 and MON 79 to 87. Cetane Number and Derived Cetane Number reference materials are available from 40 to 52.

Compositional GC Reference Materials
Validate your compositional gas chromatography instrumentation and methodology with ASTM’s composition reference materials. Shipped in packages of 8 x 5-mL ampoules, and in gasoline or naphtha matrices, our multi-ARV reference materials are a reliable way to confirm precision and accuracy of hydrocarbon group reporting and performance. Reference materials are available with ARVs for:
- ASTM D5443 – Paraffins, Naphthenes, Aromatics; in gasoline or naphtha
- ASTM D6730 – Paraffins, Isoparaffins, Naphthenes, Aromatics; in gasoline or naphtha
- ASTM D6839 – Olefins, Aromatics, Saturates; in gasoline
- ASTM D8071 – Paraffins, Isoparaffins, Olefins, Naphthenes, Aromatics; in gasoline
- ASTM D5134 – Detailed Hydrocarbon Analysis with up to 20 individual components; in naphtha

Distillation Reference Materials
ASTM offers a wide selection of reference materials to validate distillation measurement systems using atmospheric, vacuum, micro, simulated, and high-temperature simulated methodologies. Our distillation reference materials are in sample matrices similar to those your laboratory tests, rather than synthetic blends of multiple pure components, offering confidence for real-world testing of wide boiling ranges. Confirm instrument performance and analyst technique with our catalog of reference materials with ARVs covering the boiling range of typical petroleum and refined products, and the narrow boiling range of high purity chemicals:
- Crude Oil - IBP from 30 °C to 72 °C and FBPs from 709 °C to 720 °C; by ASTM D7169
- Gas Oil - IBP from 110 °C to 393 °C and FBPs from 448 °C to 695 °C; by ASTM D1160, D6352, and D7169
- Biodiesel - IBP from 290 °C to 327 °C and FBPs from 355 °C to 384 °C; by ASTM D1160 – Base Oil - IBP from 302 °C to 426 °C and FBPs from 411 °C to 590 °C; by ASTM D2887
- Diesel Fuel - IBP from 102 °C to 171 °C and FBPs from 336 °C to 415 °C; by ASTM D86, D2887, and D7345
- Jet Fuel - IBP from 95 °C to 165 °C and FBPs from 250 °C to 329 °C; by ASTM D86, D2887, and D7345
- Gasoline - IBP from 28 °C to 44 °C and FBPs from 175 °C to 266 °C; by D86 and D7345
- Naphtha - IBP from 33 °C to 127 °C and FBPs from 127 °C to 230 °C; by D86
- P-Xylene – 50 % DP 138.3 °C; by D850

Flow Properties Reference Materials
Introduce highly accurate reference materials with very low uncertainty estimates into your quality system to validate cold flow property measurement systems. ASTM’s reference materials for cloud point, pour point, cold filter plugging point, and freeze point offer robust ARVs across the wide range of flow temperatures for major petroleum products and popular manual and automated methods:
- Cloud Point – ASTM D2500, D5771, D5773 – in diesel fuel and biodiesel from 0 °C to -27 °C – Pour Point – ASTM D97, D5853, D5949, D5950, D7346 – in crude, fuel oil, gas oil, diesel fuel, lubricants, and other oils from +28 °C to -65 °C
- Cold Filter Plugging Point – ASTM D6371 – in diesel fuel and biodiesel from -4 °C to -29 °C
- Freeze Point – ASTM D2386, D5972, D7153 – in jet fuel from -43 °C to -76 °C

Aviation Jet Fuel Reference Materials
ASTM’s reference materials for jet fuel are available for hard-to-find parameters, with accepted reference values in ranges typical of the fuel tested in commercial laboratories. Our jet fuel reference materials come with reliable ARVs and low estimated uncertainties based on test results from labs across the globe. Key jet fuel reference materials we offer are:
- ASTM D3241 – JFTOT Tube Deposit Thickness – 8 nm to 80 nm
- ASTM D3948 – MSEP Rating – 90 to 99
- ASTM D1322 – Smoke Point – 18 mm to 27 mm
- ASTM D5001 – BOCLE Wear Scar Diameter – 0.55 mm to 0.77 mm
- ASTM D6379 – Aromatics by HPLC – 14 vol% to 23 vol%