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D1550-18 – Standard Test Method Technical Guide
📐 Scope and Application
The ASTM D1550-18 standard, officially titled Standard ASTM Butadiene Measurement Tables, provides the essential technical framework for determining precise quantities of butadiene. It specifically authorizes the use of Tables 1 through 3 for correcting observed relative density and volume measurements to the standard reference temperature of 15.556 °C (60 °F), as well as calculating accurate weight-volume relationships.
This standard is applicable to both pure butadiene and butadiene concentrates containing a minimum of 60 % butadiene (Section 1.2). It supersedes the historical National Institute of Standards and Technology Letter Circulars LC-736 and LC-757, and the Rubber Reserve Corp., Butadiene Laboratory Manual, providing a unified, modern approach for the industry. The accompanying tables are essential for the orderly manufacture, storage, transfer, and sale of butadiene (Section 3.1).
⚠️ User Responsibility: While the standard provides the measurement methodology, it does not address all safety concerns (Section 1.3). It is the responsibility of the user to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices, especially given butadiene’s high volatility and flammability.
⚙️ Measurement Tables and Calculation Methodology
Developed jointly by ASTM Committee D02 and the API Committee on Petroleum Measurement, D1550-18 is harmonized with the API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards (MPMS). It serves as the definitive guide for custody transfer applications. The three tables included in the standard are:
- 🔵 Table 1 — Reduction of Observed Relative Density to 60/60 °F: Corrects the observed relative density of butadiene to the standard temperature, compensating for the thermal expansion of the liquid at the time of measurement.
- 🔵 Table 2 — Reduction of Volume to 60 °F: Provides Volume Correction Factors (Ctl) to adjust metered or tank-gauged volumes from observed temperature to the equivalent volume at 60 °F.
- 🔵 Table 3 — Weight