Significance and Use
Diesel fuel injection equipment has some reliance on lubricating properties of the diesel fuel. Shortened life of engine components, such as diesel fuel injection pumps and injectors, has
sometimes been ascribed to lack of lubricity in a diesel fuel.
The trend of SLBOCLE test results to diesel injection system pump component distress due to wear has been demonstrated in pump rig tests for some fuel/hardware combinations where boundary
lubrication is believed to be a factor in the operation of the component.
The tangential friction force, as measured in the SLBOCLE test, is sensitive to contamination of the fluids and test materials, the presence of oxygen and water in the atmosphere, and the
temperature of the test. Lubricity evaluations are also sensitive to trace contaminants acquired during test fuel sampling and storage.
The SLBOCLE and High-Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR, Test Method D6079 ) are two methods for evaluating diesel fuel lubricity. No absolute correlation has been developed between the two
test methods.
The SLBOCLE may be used to evaluate the relative effectiveness of diesel fuels for preventing wear under the prescribed test conditions. If a standard SLBOCLE rating has been set, then the
single-load test provides a more rapid evaluation than the incremental load test. Correlation of SLBOCLE test results with field performance of diesel fuel injection systems has not yet been
determined.
This test method is designed to evaluate boundary lubrication properties. While viscosity effects on lubricity in this test method are not totally eliminated, they are minimized.
1. Scope
1.1 This test method covers the evaluation of the lubricity (load carrying ability) of diesel fuels using a scuffing load ball-on-cylinder lubricity evaluator (SLBOCLE).
1.2 This test method is applicable to middle distillate fuels, such as Grades Low Sulfur No. 1 D, Low Sulfur No. 2 D, No. 1 D, and No. 2 D diesel fuels, in accordance with Specification D975
; and other similar petroleum-based fuels which can be used in diesel engines.
Note 1It is not known that this test method will predict the performance of all additive/fuel combinations. Additional work is underway to further establish this
correlation and future revisions of the standard may be necessary once this work is complete.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to
establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific warning statements are given in Section
7.
2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.
ASTM Standards
D975 Specification for Diesel Fuel Oils
D4057 Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
D4177 Practice for Automatic Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
D4306 Practice for Aviation Fuel Sample Containers for Tests Affected by Trace Contamination
D5001 Test Method for Measurement of Lubricity of Aviation Turbine Fuels by the Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator (BOCLE)
D6079 Test Method for Evaluating Lubricity of Diesel Fuels by the High-Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR)
American Iron and Steel Institute Standard
AISIE-52100 Chromium Alloy Steel
American National Standards Institute Standard
ANSIB3.12, Metal Balls
Society of Automotive Engineers Standard
SAE8720 Steel
Keywords
boundary lubrication; diesel fuel; friction; lubricity; wear; BOCLE (ball-on-cylinder lubricity evaluator); Diesel engine fuel oils; Friction/frictional properties--petroleum applications;
Industrial petroleum products; Lubricity/lubricating properties; Petroleum products; Scuffing load; SLBOCLE (scuffing load ball-on-cylinder lubricity evaluator); Wear testing--petroleum
products;
ICS Code
ICS Number Code 27.060.10 (Liquid and solid fuel burners)
DOI: 10.1520/D6078-04R10
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.
ASTM D6078