— Measurement range: from room temperature to –68°C; constant temperature accuracy: ±0.4°C; repeatability: ±1°C; enables fully automated determination of low-temperature performance of petroleum products.
In petroleum product analysis, the Pour Point and Solidification Point are key indicators for evaluating low-temperature fluidity. The Pour Point is typically 2–3°C higher than the Solidification Point, more closely reflecting actual operating conditions, and serves as the primary criterion for determining whether a petroleum product can be safely pumped and used in cold environments. Traditional manual testing methods rely on visual observation and simple cooling baths, exhibiting issues such as inaccurate temperature control, poor repeatability, cumbersome operation, and low efficiency; human judgment errors can reach ±2–3°C, and operators must remain on-site throughout the process, posing a risk of frostbite.
Our company's newly launched fully automated pour point and freezing point tester strictly complies with the design requirements of GB/T 3535-2025 "Method for Determination of Pour Point of Petroleum Products," GB/T 510-2018 "Method for Determination of Freezing Point of Petroleum Products," and ASTM D97 international standard. Equipped with fully digital microcomputer control, self-calibrating PID temperature regulation technology, a large-color LCD display, and one-touch operation, it achieves complete automation from cooling and testing to result output, providing high-precision, highly reproducible, and safe low-temperature performance testing solutions for the petrochemical, power, quality inspection, and related industries.
This instrument features an integrated chassis design that incorporates oil injection port, oil discharge port, exhaust port, thermal printer, RS232 data interface, and a circulating water cooling system. Users can complete all operations with a single click using the **One-Touch Fly function (rotating menu selection with button confirmation/reverse)**, eliminating the need for complex keyboard inputs. Key functional features include:
- Fully automated measurement: After setting the preset temperature and sample parameters, the instrument automatically initiates cooling, measures the pour point/flash point at standard intervals, and prints results without any manual intervention.
- High-precision temperature control: Utilizing a self-tuning PID algorithm in conjunction with a high-precision platinum resistance temperature sensor, achieving a constant temperature accuracy of ±0.4°C and a measurement range from room temperature to-68°C.
- User-friendly interface: 5-inch color LCD display with bilingual Chinese-English interface, supporting sample serial number input, historical data retrieval, and export.
- Multiple safety protections: self-protection against water overheating in the refrigeration component's circulation system, rupture prevention for sample tubes, leakage current protection, and a reliable grounding design for the housing, ensuring comprehensive safety for both equipment and personnel.
The dropping point and freezing point testing method has long faced three major technical challenges in laboratory applications. This instrument addresses each of these issues through integrated software-hardware design solutions.
- The temperature fluctuations under low-temperature conditions are significant.
- Key challenges: Traditional cooling baths exhibit uneven temperature distribution and uncontrollable cooling rates, resulting in deviation in/boiling point determination exceeding ±2°C and poor data comparability.
- Instrumental Control Strategy: A digital PID temperature control algorithm combined with a high-precision platinum resistance temperature sensor is employed to achieve a constant temperature accuracy of ±0.4°C and test repeatability of ±1°C. Additionally, the refrigeration system is equipped with a dedicated circulating water cooling system to ensure stability during prolonged low-temperature operation and prevent compressor overheating damage.
- Artificial observation error in determining the coagulation point of samples
- Key challenges: Operators rely on visual observation to determine whether the oil flows within the test tube, resulting in significant variability in assessment outcomes among different personnel and susceptibility to interference from light conditions or viewing angles. Disputes frequently arise during arbitration analysis.
- Instrumental Solution: Utilizing infrared photoelectric detection combined with an automatic tilting mechanism, this system replicates the standard procedure of "tilting test tubes to observe liquid levels" in manual testing at a 1:1 ratio. High-precision photoelectric sensors capture minute fluctuations in liquid levels, while a microcomputer automatically determines the solidification state of the oil sample, delivering a unique and objective result.
- Improper circulating water conditions lead to refrigeration failure.
- Key issues: User neglect of circulating water connections, excessively high water temperature, or insufficient water flow can cause compressor overheating, reduced cooling efficiency, or even protection shutdowns, affecting test progress.
- Instrumental Recommendations: The test interface must clearly indicate that "the instrument must be connected to circulating water before testing, with a water volume of no less than 15 liters and a water temperature not exceeding 30°C." Additionally, the refrigeration components are equipped with an overheat self-protection function, which automatically pauses the test and displays an alarm message in case of temperature exceedance to prevent equipment damage.
Based on extensive field feedback, the following incorrect operations can easily cause test failures or equipment malfunctions. This instrument uses human-machine interaction prompts and physical design to help users avoid these issues effectively:
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Common Fehler Operations |
Instrument Design Protection/Tips |
|---|---|
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Not connected to circulating cooling water or insufficient water flow (<15 liters) |
The test interface displays a mandatory prompt; the instrument automatically stops testing when it detects excessively high water temperature. |
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The circulating water temperature exceeds 30°C. |
Overheat protection has been activated, and the "Circulating water temperature is too high" warning message appears on the screen. |
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The instrument housing is not reliably grounded. |
A dedicated grounding terminal is located at the rear of the chassis; the manual emphasizes in bold font that "reliable grounding is mandatory." |
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For use in environments with rain exposure, corrosive gases, high temperatures, or direct sunlight. |
The specification clearly defines the environmental requirements and includes warning symbols. |
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No preset temperature or sample name was specified before testing |
Set the interface to require selecting a sample name and preset temperature; otherwise, testing cannot proceed. |
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The sample was not pre-treated as required by the standards. |
Set the interface to display a sample pretreatment prompt, reminding users to dehydrate and melt the wax crystals. |
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Turn off the power directly, or open the cover before completing the test. |
The program automatically saves the current state; a buzzer will sound upon test completion to prevent premature sample removal |
|
The power supply voltage exceeds AC 220 V ± 10%, or the fuse has blown. |
Wide voltage range design (±10%) with a 4A fuse, replaceable by users |
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Prints when paper is low |
Select a printing method: "Manual Print" or "Auto Print upon Experiment Completion". The printer will not operate when paper is low and will display "Paper Runout". |
Additionally, the instrument's "System Debugging" interface allows separate detection of whether the exhaust solenoid valve, oil discharge solenoid valve, air pump, and photoelectric sensor are operating normally, facilitating users' daily self-checks and fault diagnosis.
- Measurement range: room temperature to-68°C (capable of meeting the pour point/flash point testing requirements for most light and heavy petroleum products).
- Thermal stability accuracy: ±0.4°C
- Repeatability: ±1°C (superior to the requirements of the standard method)
- Reproducibility: ≤2°C (superior to the requirements of the standard method)
- Refrigeration method: Multi-stage semiconductor refrigeration (no mechanical vibration, no noise, and requires no refrigerant maintenance).
- Cooling rate: 3–4°C/min in the high-temperature zone and 0.8–1.1°C/min in the low-temperature zone (automatically adjustable according to standard requirements).
- Testing interval: Supports two options—1°C and 3°C—with results directly comparable to traditional manual methods
- Sample volume: Standard sample volume in test tubes is 45 mL (fully compliant with national standards).
- Power Supply: AC 220V ±10%,50 Hz, Power <500 W
- Operating Environment: Temperature 0–40°C, relative humidity ≤85%
- Circulating water requirements: Water temperature <30°C, water volume ≥15 liters; the instrument package includes a condensate circulation pump and piping system. Users must provide a water container with a capacity of at least 15 liters. Distilled water or deionized water is strongly recommended.
- Human-machine interface: Color LCD screen with one-touch shuttle operation (knob + OK/ESC keys), supports Chinese/English switching
- Data Management: Stores over 500 historical test records and supports thermal printing output
- Interface: RS232 data interface for easy connection with the LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System).
To ensure long-term stable operation and measurement accuracy of the instrument, users are advised to perform the following regular maintenance:
- Replace the cooling water regularly (it is recommended to do so every 1–2 months) to prevent mineral scaling and pipeline blockage.
- After each test, clean the test tubes and the oil injection/drain ports to prevent residual oil from contaminating subsequent tests.
- Clean the photoelectric detection window monthly to prevent oil contamination from affecting detection accuracy.
- When not in use for an extended period, drain the cooling water from the pipeline to prevent scaling or low-temperature freeze cracking.
- It is recommended to perform a light path self-test every 10 tests to eliminate signal drift.
The introduction of this fully automated pour point and freezing point tester enables comprehensive improvements for petrochemical companies, power plant petrochemical laboratories, and third-party testing institutions.
- The accuracy of results has been significantly improved: fully automated determination effectively eliminates human error, with repeatability within ±1°C, meeting the requirements of standard methods and arbitration analyses.
- Test efficiency improves by 3–5 times: After one-click activation, no manual intervention is required, allowing laboratory personnel to perform other tasks concurrently. While traditional methods require 2–4 hours per sample, this instrument significantly reduces the testing cycle time.
- Enhanced data traceability: Supports storage of over 500 historical test records and integration with LIMS systems, meeting laboratory ISO 17025 quality management requirements.
- Enhanced device security: Multiple security protection mechanisms significantly reduce the risk of equipment damage
- Significantly reduced learning barrier: Dual-language menus in Chinese and English allow beginners to get started by reading the quick guide; one-click navigation makes operations simple and intuitive
- Personnel Safety Assurance: The entire process is fully automated, eliminating the risk of frostbite caused by frequent exposure of laboratory personnel to low-temperature samples.
Currently, this product is widely used in refineries, lubricant manufacturers, power research institutes, and aviation fuel testing centers, particularly suitable for low-temperature performance testing of various petroleum products such as diesel, lubricants, transformer oil, and aviation fuel. It meets diverse application requirements including factory inspection at refineries, lubricant formulation development, oil quality monitoring for power equipment, and arbitration analysis by third-party testing institutions.
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