, the "Standard Test Method for Water in Petroleum Products and Bituminous Materials by Distillation," is the gold standard for getting this measurement right. What is ASTM D95?
The results of the ASTM D95 test are reported as a percentage of water and sediment in the crude oil sample. The interpretation of results is straightforward: Astm D95 Pdf
ASTM D95 is a standardized test method titled “Standard Test Method for Water in Petroleum Products and Bituminous Materials by Distillation.” It describes a laboratory procedure to determine the amount of water (including dissolved water and free water) present in liquid petroleum products and some bituminous materials by using a distillation technique. The method is widely used in fuels, lubricants, and related petroleum industry testing because water content can affect product quality, corrosion, pumpability, and downstream processing. , the "Standard Test Method for Water in
The condensed liquid falls into a graduated glass trap. Because water is denser than the solvent and immiscible, it settles at the bottom of the trap while the excess solvent overflows back into the flask. The interpretation of results is straightforward: ASTM D95
The ubiquity of ASTM D95 is largely due to its versatility and reliability. It is applicable to a wide range of materials, including crude oil, fuel oils, lubricating greases, and even tars and bituminous materials. Unlike other methods, such as the Karl Fischer titration (ASTM D6304), which relies on chemical reagents and can be sensitive to interfering substances, the distillation method is robust and mechanical. It provides a direct visual confirmation of water volume, making it less susceptible to certain chemical interferences that might skew results in titration methods. This makes D95 particularly valuable for field operations and in scenarios where the chemical matrix of the sample is complex or unknown.
ASTM D95 Water Content | PDF | Petroleum | Distillation - Scribd