]]
Atmosphere
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window
The information contained in the following pages is of a general nature only and should be read in conjunction with the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000, the Fuel Quality Standards Regulations 2001 and the Fuel Standard (Petrol) Determination 2001. Fuel suppliers may wish to seek legal advice about their obligations under this legislation.
The first suite of national fuel standards, which came into force on 1 January 2002, regulates petrol parameters that have a direct impact on the environment ('environmental standards').
The standards will have a major impact on the amount of toxic pollutants in vehicle emissions, such as benzene and particles, with studies estimating reductions of up to 50 per cent for some pollutants over 20 years. This is great news for our health, with cleaner air helping to reduce the number of serious respiratory illnesses and asthma cases, particularly in children.
A second suite of national fuel standards came into force on 16 October 2002. These standards ('operability standards') address those parameters of petrol that do not have a direct impact on emissions but, if not controlled, can have adverse impacts on the efficient operation of the engine.
Further operability standards are being developed that may include:
The environmental and operability standards are consolidated in the following tables. The legal instruments implementing the petrol standard is:
| Parameter | National standard | Grade | Date of effect | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sulfur | 500 ppm (max) | ULP/LRP | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D5453 |
| 150 ppm (max) | PULP | |||
| 150 ppm (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-05 | ||
| 50 ppm (max) | PULP | 1-Jan-08 | ||
| Research octane number (RON) | 91.0 RON (min) | ULP | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D2699 |
| 95.0 RON (min) | PULP | |||
| 96.0 RON (min) | LRP | |||
| Distillation | Final boiling point 210°C (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-05 | Not specified |
| Olefins | 18% pool average over 6 months with a cap of 20% | All grades | 1-Jan-04 | ASTM D1319 |
| 18% max by vol | All grades | 1-Jan-05 | ||
| Aromatics | 45% pool average over 6 months with a cap of 48% | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D1319 |
| 42% pool average over 6 months with a cap of 45% | 1-Jan-05 | |||
| Benzene | 1% max by vol | All grades | 1-Jan-06 | ASTM D5580 |
| Lead | 0.005g/L (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D3237 |
| Oxygen | 2.7% m/m (max) | All grades (no ethanol) |
1-Jan-02 | ASTM D4815 |
| 3.9% m/m (max) | All grades (with ethanol) |
1-Nov-07 | ||
| Ethanol | 10% v/v (max) | All grades | 1-Jul-03 | ASTM D4815 |
| Phosphorus | 0.0013g/L (max) | ULP, PULP | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D3231 |
| MTBE (Methyl tertiary-butyl ether) |
1% by volume (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-04 | ASTM D4815 |
| DIPE (Di-isopropropyl ether) |
1% by volume (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D4815 |
| TBA (Tertiary butyl alcohol) |
0.5% by volume (max) | All grades | 1-Jan-02 | ASTM D4815 |
| Motor Octane Number (MON) | 85.0 (min) | PULP | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D2700 |
| 81.0 (min) | ULP | 16-Oct-02 | ||
| 82.0 (min) | LRP | 16-Oct-02 | ||
| Copper Corrosion (3 hrs @ 50ºC) |
Class 1 (max) | All grades | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D130 |
| Existent Gum (washed) | 50 mg/L (max) | All grades | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D381 |
| Induction Period | 360 minutes (min) | All grades | 16-Oct-02 | ASTM D525 |
The additives Ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE), Tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME) and Ethyl tertiary amyl ether (ETAE) are not included in the standard. ETBE, TAME and ETAE are not listed on the Australian Inventory of Chemical Substances (AICS). In accordance with the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989, these chemicals are currently prohibited from import and manufacture.