ASTM D6074-15(2022)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D6074 − 15 (Reapproved 2022)
Standard Guide for
Characterizing Hydrocarbon Lubricant Base Oils
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6074; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.7 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
1.1 This guide suggests physical, chemical, and toxicologi-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
cal test methods for characterizing hydrocarbon lubricant base
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
oils derived from various refining processes including re-
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
refining used oils and refining crude oil. This guide does not
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
contain limits nor does it purport to cover all tests which could
be employed; rather, it represents the first step in better
2. Referenced Documents
describingimportantparametersoflubricantbaseoilsaffecting
2.1 ASTM Standards:
lubricant performance and safe handling. Tests have been
D91 Test Method for Precipitation Number of Lubricating
identified to characterize the composition and performance of
Oils
base oils in addition to verifying their consistency. Undesirable
D92 Test Method for Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland
components have also been identified with a range of typical
Open Cup Tester
levels. These are not limits. It is the responsibility of the buyer
D93 Test Methods for Flash Point by Pensky-Martens
and seller to determine and agree upon the implementation of
Closed Cup Tester
this guide.
D97 Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products
1.2 This guide applies only to base oils and not to finished
D130 Test Method for Corrosiveness to Copper from Petro-
lubricants.
leum Products by Copper Strip Test
1.3 Base oils containing detectable levels of esters, animal
D189 Test Method for Conradson Carbon Residue of Petro-
fats, vegetable oils, or other materials used as, or blended into,
leum Products
lubricants are not covered by this guide.
D287 Test Method for API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and
Petroleum Products (Hydrometer Method)
1.4 This guide is relevant to base oils composed of hydro-
D341 Practice for Viscosity-Temperature Equations and
carbons and intended for use in formulating products including
Charts for Liquid Petroleum or Hydrocarbon Products
automotive and industrial lubricants.Although not intended to
D445 Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent
cover all base oil viscosity grades, this guide does cover the
and Opaque Liquids (and Calculation of Dynamic Viscos-
majority of viscosities that would be used in both automotive
ity)
and industrial oil formulations.These base oils would typically
2 2
D524 Test Method for Ramsbottom Carbon Residue of
haveaviscosityofapproximately2 mm /sto40mm /s(cSt)at
Petroleum Products
100 °C (50 SUS to 3740 SUS at 100 °F).
D664 Test Method for Acid Number of Petroleum Products
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
by Potentiometric Titration
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
D974 Test Method for Acid and Base Number by Color-
only.
Indicator Titration
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the
D1298 Test Method for Density, Relative Density, or API
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Liquid Petroleum Prod-
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
ucts by Hydrometer Method
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
D1401 TestMethodforWaterSeparabilityofPetroleumOils
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
and Synthetic Fluids
D1500 Test Method forASTM Color of Petroleum Products
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D02 on Petroleum
Products, Liquid Fuels, and Lubricants and is the direct responsibility of Subcom-
mittee D02.P0 on Recycled Products. For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Current edition approved Oct. 1, 2022. Published October 2022. Originally contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
approved in 1998. Last previous edition approved in 2015 as D6074 – 15. DOI: Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
10.1520/D6074-15R22. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D6074 − 15 (2022)
(ASTM Color Scale) D5185 Test Method for Multielement Determination of
D2007 Test Method for Characteristic Groups in Rubber Used and Unused Lubricating Oils and Base Oils by
Extender and Processing Oils and Other Petroleum- Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrom-
Derived Oils by the Clay-Gel Absorption Chromato- etry (ICP-AES)
graphic Method D5293 Test Method for Apparent Viscosity of Engine Oils
D2161 Practice for Conversion of Kinematic Viscosity to and Base Stocks Between –10 °C and –35 °C Using
Saybolt Universal Viscosity or to Saybolt Furol Viscosity Cold-Cranking Simulator
D2270 Practice for Calculating Viscosity Index from Kine- D5453 Test Method for Determination of Total Sulfur in
matic Viscosity at 40 °C and 100 °C Light Hydrocarbons, Spark Ignition Engine Fuel, Diesel
D2501 Test Method for Calculation of Viscosity-Gravity Engine Fuel, and Engine Oil by Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Constant (VGC) of Petroleum Oils D5762 Test Method for Nitrogen in Liquid Hydrocarbons,
D2622 Test Method for Sulfur in Petroleum Products by Petroleum and Petroleum Products by Boat-Inlet Chemi-
Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry luminescence
D2887 Test Method for Boiling Range Distribution of Pe- D5800 Test Method for Evaporation Loss of Lubricating
troleum Fractions by Gas Chromatography Oils by the Noack Method
D2896 TestMethodforBaseNumberofPetroleumProducts D5949 Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products
by Potentiometric Perchloric Acid Titration (Automatic Pressure Pulsing Method)
D3120 Test Method for Trace Quantities of Sulfur in Light D5950 Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products
Liquid Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Oxidative Microcou- (Automatic Tilt Method)
lometry D5984 Test Method for Semi-Quantitative Field Test
D3339 Test Method forAcid Number of Petroleum Products Method for Base Number in New and Used Lubricants by
by Semi-Micro Color Indicator Titration Color-Indicator Titration
D3828 Test Methods for Flash Point by Small Scale Closed D5985 Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products
Cup Tester (Rotational Method)
D4052 Test Method for Density, Relative Density, and API D6160 Test Method for Determination of Polychlorinated
Gravity of Liquids by Digital Density Meter Biphenyls (PCBs) in Waste Materials by Gas Chromatog-
D4057 Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum and raphy
Petroleum Products D6304 Test Method for Determination of Water in Petro-
D4059 Test Method for Analysis of Polychlorinated Biphe- leum Products, Lubricating Oils, and Additives by Cou-
nyls in Insulating Liquids by Gas Chromatography lometric Karl Fischer Titration
D4175 Terminology Relating to Petroleum Products, Liquid D6375 Test Method for Evaporation Loss of Lubricating
Fuels, and Lubricants Oils by Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA) Noack
D4177 Practice for Automatic Sampling of Petroleum and Method
Petroleum Products D6417 Test Method for Estimation of Engine Oil Volatility
D4291 Test Method for Trace Ethylene Glycol in Used by Capillary Gas Chromatography
Engine Oil D6443 TestMethodforDeterminationofCalcium,Chlorine,
D4294 Test Method for Sulfur in Petroleum and Petroleum Copper, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Zinc in
Products by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spec- Unused Lubricating Oils and Additives by Wavelength
trometry Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (Mathemati-
D4530 Test Method for Determination of Carbon Residue cal Correction Procedure)
(Micro Method) D6481 Test Method for Determination of Phosphorus,
D4628 Test Method for Analysis of Barium, Calcium, Sulfur, Calcium, and Zinc in Lubrication Oils by Energy
Magnesium, and Zinc in Unused Lubricating Oils by Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Atomic Absorption Spectrometry D6749 Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products
D4629 Test Method for Trace Nitrogen in Liquid Hydrocar- (Automatic Air Pressure Method)
bons by Syringe/Inlet Oxidative Combustion and Chemi- D6822 Test Method for Density, Relative Density, and API
luminescence Detection Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Liquid Petroleum Prod-
D4739 Test Method for Base Number Determination by ucts by Thermohydrometer Method
Potentiometric Hydrochloric Acid Titration D6892 Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products
D4927 Test Methods for Elemental Analysis of Lubricant (Robotic Tilt Method)
and Additive Components—Barium, Calcium, D7042 Test Method for Dynamic Viscosity and Density of
Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Zinc by Wavelength-Dispersive Liquids by Stabinger Viscometer (and the Calculation of
X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy Kinematic Viscosity)
D4929 Test Method for Determination of Organic Chloride D7094 Test Method for Flash Point by Modified Continu-
Content in Crude Oil ously Closed Cup (MCCCFP) Tester
D4951 Test Method for Determination ofAdditive Elements D7095 Test Method for Rapid Determination of Corrosive-
in Lubricating Oils by Inductively Coupled Plasma ness to Copper from Petroleum Products Using a Dispos-
Atomic Emission Spectrometry able Copper Foil Strip
D6074 − 15 (2022)
D7279 Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent intended to increase the awareness of the user to available
and Opaque Liquids by Automated Houillon Viscometer techniques in a given subject area and to provide information
D7346 Test Method for No Flow Point and Pour Point of from which subsequent evaluation and standardization can be
Petroleum Products and Liquid Fuels derived.
D7419 Test Method for Determination of Total Aromatics
4. Significance and Use
and Total Saturates in Lube Basestocks by High Perfor-
mance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with Refractive
4.1 Refinery and re-refinery feedstock and the processes to
Index Detection
whichthefeedissubjectdeterminethecompositionofthebase
D7500 Test Method for Determination of Boiling Range
stock produced. Once produced, other potential sources of
Distribution of Distillates and Lubricating Base Oils—in
variation include storage, transportation and blending. It fol-
Boiling Range from 100 °C to 735 °C by Gas Chroma-
lows that lubricating base oils will be of variable chemical
tography
composition. For this reason, characterization criteria for
D7751 Test Method for Determination ofAdditive Elements
hydrocarbon lubricant base oils are frequently chosen from
in Lubricating Oils by EDXRF Analysis
properties such as those listed in Table 1 and/or Table 2.If
D7777 Test Method for Density, Relative Density, or API
specification limits are established, they are usually related to
Gravity of Liquid Petroleum by Portable Digital Density
the intended use of the base oil.
Meter
4.2 The consistent performance of hydrocarbon lubricant
E1687 Test Method for Determining Carcinogenic Potential
base oils is a critical factor in a wide variety of applications
of Virgin Base Oils in Metalworking Fluids
such as engine oils, industrial lubricants, and metalworking
2.2 Government Standard:
fluids. In addition, in many of these applications humans are
EPA 8120 Chlorinated Hydrocarbons by GC/MS, EPA SW-
3 exposed to the base oils as a component of a formulated
product such that health or safety considerations may need to
2.3 Other Standards:
be addressed. This guide suggests a compilation of properties
IP 346 Determination of Polycyclic Aromatics in Unused
and potential contaminants that are understood by those
Lubricating Base Oils and Asphaltene Free Petroleum
knowledgeable in the manufacture and use of hydrocarbon
Fractions—Dimethyl Sulphoxide Extraction Refractive
4 lubricants to be significant in some or all applications. A
Index Method
discussion of each of the suggested properties and potential
IP 447 Petroleum Products—Determination of Sulfur
contaminants is provided in Appendix X2, with each listed
Content—Wavelength-dispersive X-ray Fluorescence
4 alphabetically within four categories.
Spectrometry
4.3 The test methods, base oil properties, and potential
IP 510 Petroleum Products—Determination of Organic
Halogen Content—Oxidative Microcoulometric Method contaminantssuggestedarethosethatwouldlikelybeusefulin
many common situations, although it is recognized that there
3. Terminology
arespecificapplicationsandsituationsthatcouldhavedifferent
requirements. Performance testing related to a specific appli-
3.1 Definitions:
cation may serve as the basis for acceptability.
3.1.1 For definitions of standard terms used in this guide,
see Terminology D4175 or ASTM Dictionary of Engineering
4.4 Issues such as frequency of testing and the specifics of
Science and Technology.
howthetestresultsaretobeappliedarenotaddressedindetail.
3.1.2 base oil, n—a base stock or a blend of two or more
It is the responsibility of the buyer and seller to determine and
base stocks used to produce finished lubricants, usually in
agree upon the implementation of this guide.This guide serves
combination with additives.
as a basis for that discussion.
3.1.3 base stock, n—a hydrocarbon lubricant component,
5. Sampling
other than an additive, that is produced by a single manufac-
turer to the same specifications (independent of feed source or
5.1 Sampling of lubricant base oils may be required as part
manufacturer’s location), and that is identified by a unique
of the buyer/seller arrangement. If a sampling program is
formula number or product identification number, or both.
required, sampling in accordance with Practice D4057, D4177,
3.1.4 guide, n—aseriesofoptionsorinstructionsthatdonot or a suitable alternative may be employed.
recommend a specific course of action.
6. Procedure
3.1.4.1 Discussion—Whereas a practice describes a general
usage principle, a guide only suggests an approach. The
6.1 Application of Guide:
purpose of a guide is to offer guidance, based on a consensus
6.1.1 This guide applies only to hydrocarbon lubricant base
of
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