Reliable viscosity, density, and ignition performance data for marine fuels

Reliable viscosity and density testing is critical for accurately classifying marine fuels, ensuring their proper handling, and maintaining engine performance. To achieve this, laboratories require analytical methods that deliver consistent results across a wide range of fuel types – from low-viscosity distillates to highly viscous residual grades.

Anton Paar’s SVM series viscometers deliver a unified and automated solution for marine fuel testing across the full viscosity range, enabling laboratories to verify key parameters with confidence and ensure compliance with internationally accepted standards.

The SVM series measures both viscosity and density simultaneously in accordance with ASTM and ISO methods – ASTM D7042 or ISO 23581 for viscosity, and ASTM D4052 or ISO 12185 for density. For residual fuels, the Calculated Carbon Aromaticity Index (CCAI) is derived automatically from the measured values, providing an indicator for ignition behaviour.

The product portfolio covers a wide range of laboratory and process requirements. Entry-level SVM instruments support rapid viscosity or density checks close to production or bunkering points, while advanced models extend the measurable temperature range from -60 °C to +135 °C and cover viscosities from 0.2 mm²/s up to 30,000 mm²/s. Optional autosamplers enable unattended operation with high sample throughput, supporting routine quality control as well as investigative testing in R&D environments.

For high-viscosity residual fuels, SVM can be paired with a heated sample changer. This maintains the sample temperature throughout filling and measurement, eliminating cooling effects that can compromise repeatability. Automated filling, prewetting, and cleaning sequences minimise operator influence and ensure stable measurement conditions, delivering consistent, comparable data across consecutive measurements.

SVM’s metal measuring cell eliminates the risk of glass breakage associated with glass capillary methods, while reducing sample and solvent consumption to as little as 1.5 mL per measurement. The combined determination of viscosity and density in a single run, together with rapid thermal equilibration, increases laboratory throughput by more than 150 % compared to manual techniques. SVM viscometers deliver a clear benefit for testing laboratories and refineries: automated determination of viscosity, density, and CCAI in one system, aligned with international standards and suitable for the full diversity of marine fuels.