De La Salle University – Dasmariñas

City of Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines

College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology

Mechanical Engineering Program

MEET422L
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY 2

Experiment No. 9
CLOUD AND POUR POINT TESTS

Submitted By:
Group – 3
Santiago, Jake Polo L.
Sebastian, Carlomagno D.
Balderama, Carlo Z.
MEE - 42

Submitted To:
Engr. Rene Rubio

April 25, 2017

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

OBJECTIVES……………………………………………………………………………………..1

PRINCIPLES / THEORY OF THE LABORATORY TEST RESEARCH……………..………..1

LABORATORY EQUIPMENTS USED…………………………………………………………2

TEST PROCEDURES…………………………………………………………………………….3

DATA SHEET………………………………………………………………………………….....7

OBSERVATION DURING THE TEST...………………………………………………………..7

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS………………………………………………………………………..7

CONCLUSIONS………………………………………………………………………………….8

RESEARCH WORK……………………………………………………………………...............8

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………….………….10
OBJECTIVES

 To determine the temperature at which paraffin wax found in oil crystallized and separates
from oil.
 To determine the temperature at which the hydrocarbon separates from and float on the
surface of oil.

THEORY

The cloud and pour point are the type of stage at which liquid come up to a change in their
liquid state when they are kept under a cold bath. Here, the cloud point is the temperature at which
a liquid begins to have form the separation of wax on cooling the particular liquid, whereas pour
point is the temperature at which the liquid becomes semi solid and loses its flow properties. Cloud
and pour point are related to low temperature characteristics of fuel and tells the behavior of fuel
at low temperature. Haziness may be due to the separation of waxes, viscosity at low temperature.
Due to separation of waxes, viscosity of fuel oil increases and its fluidity decreases. To presence
of solidified waxes thickness the oil and clogs fuels filters and injectors in engine. So the presence
of these solid waxes affects the performance of engines. usually the difference between cloud and
pour points is 4°f to 6°f.

The pour point tells the temperature below which oil cannot be used as lubricant. cloud
point indicates the tendency of oil to plug filters or small orifices at cold operating temperature.
So, cloud and pour point also tells us the suitability of lubricating oils in cold condition. This point
has to be predetermined before they are being supplied to the market, hence the necessary changes
for the liquid could be made and perfect result will be achieved up. The product test is being test
by taking out and holding a small amount of solution and keeping them under a cold bath until the
solution happen to reach the required stage.

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LABORATORY EQUIPMENTS AND MATERIALS USED

Table 1. Equipment’s used in the Experiment (see Figure 1)

QTY. UNIT EQUIPMENTS DESCRIPTION
3 pcs Test Tubes with Rubber A common piece of laboratory glassware
consisting of a finger-like length of glass
Stoppers
or clear plastic tubing, open at the top and
closed at the bottom.
5 pcs Thermometers It is a device that measures temperature
or a temperature gradient.
1 pc Beaker with Cracked Ice It is a simple "container" which is used for
heating and stirring liquids in
laboratories. These are generally in
cylindrical shape with a flat bottom.
1 pc Electric Heater / Stove It is a stove with an integrated electrical
heating device that is used to cook, and re-
heat.

a.) Test Tubes with Rubber Stoppers b.) Thermometers

c.) Beaker with Cracked Ice d.) Electric Heater / Stove

Figure 2. Equipment’s used in the Experiment

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PROCEDURE

Figure 3. Test Set-up and Parts of a Cloud and Pour Point Experiment
I. CLOUD POINT TEST
1. Measure 50 ml oil in a 250 ml beaker.
2. Place the beaker in an electric stove. Let it boil until it reaches 150 F. (See Figure 4)

Figure 4. Beaker placed in an electric stove

3. Turn off fire. Pour a portion of the boiled liquid in a test tube with rubber stopper. (See
Figure 5)

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 Figure 5. Pouring the boiled fluid in the test tube
4. Using a thermometer, measure the temperature of the liquid. (See Figure 6)

Figure 6. Measurement of temperature using a thermometer

5. In another beaker, prepare a cold bath by putting cracked ice on it. (See Figure 7)

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 Figure 7. Cooling Bath
6. For every drop in the temperature (2 Fahrenheit), remove the test tube in the bath.
7. Maintain a 30 Fahrenheit temperature.
7. Record the temperature of the cloud point.
II. POUR POINT TEST
1. Measure 50 ml oil in a 250 ml beaker.
2. Place the beaker in an electric stove. Let it boil until it reaches 150 F. (See Figure 8)

Figure 8. Beaker placed in an electric stove

3. Let it cooldown to 70% of its boiled temperature.
4. Pour a portion of the boiled liquid in a test tube with rubber stopper. (See Figure 9)

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 Figure 9. Pouring the boiled fluid in the test tube
5. In a separate container, prepare a cool bath by putting cracked ice on it. (See Figure 10)

Figure 10. Cooling Bath

6. Maintain a 35 Fahrenheit temperature upon submerging the test tube in the cool bath.
7. At each drop in the temperature (5 Fahrenheit), record the oil temperature on the data
sheet.

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DATA SHEET

Table 2. Tabulated Data of the Results found on the Experiment of Various Petroleum Products
TRIAL FUEL QTY, TEMPERATURE, oC
mL Cloud Point Pour Point
1 Kerosene 40 -21.9 -25.8
2 Diesel 40 -9.3 -11.4
3 Stanadyne 40 -33.3 -36.3
Note: The tabulated data that was shown is based on the laboratory experiments found online.
(Akhil A.G., Mohammed P.K., Akhilesh S., Muhammad C.A., Salman K., Dr. Rajesh K. 2017)
OBSERVATION

The cloud point of petroleum is the temperature at which a cloud or haze of crystals appear
at the bottom of the test jar, when the sample is cooled under prescribed conditions. As the fuel oil
starts to freeze, it forms small crystals that start clumping together. They become visible as cloudy
fuel oil when they grow to four times larger than the wavelength of visible light. At this size, the
crystals easily pass through filters and can be pumped and used with no problems. At colder
temperatures, the crystals grow to the point that they plug filters.

Pour point is the lowest temperature expressed in multiples of 3 oC at which the oil is
observed to flow when cooled and examined under prescribed conditions. Pour point determined
to estimate the temperature at which a sample of oil becomes sufficiently solid to prevent its
movement by pumping. It depends to a large extent on the thermal history of the sample. Also, it
indicates the waxy nature of the sample.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

 Wear laboratory protective equipment when doing the experiment.

 Use laboratory apparatus that will hold the beaker when it is heated on the electric stove.
 Be careful when handling the glassware (e.g. beaker and test tube).
 Always set aside laboratory apparatus that are not being used.

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CONCLUSION

Based on the results shown in the tabulated data in Table 2. Stanadyne was the best diesel
fuel additives with lowest cloud and pour point. The test further went on ahead to come to
conclusion that stanadyne was the better fuel additive than the kerosene, in winter season to keep
the diesel fuel away from wax formation. The wax formation would lead to further damage and
nonfunctioning of an engine. The stanadyne with its special properties and oils present in them
help diesel to stay away from wax formation and more over helps the engine to run much smoothly
and too with low smoke formation while the kerosene give heavy engine crack sounds and also
produces a lot of smoke. This was observed when the mixes where poured into a diesel tank of a
car and driven.

Cloud point is the temperature below which wax in diesel forms a cloudy appearance. And
that waxes thickens the oil and clogs fuel filters and injectors in engines. Pour point is the minimum
temperature at which lubricant turns into semi solid and almost losses its flow characteristics.
Petroleum products will need to be pumped after storage; therefore, the cloud and pour point
temperatures are helpful to determine suitable storage temperatures. The results also help in the
assessment of whether a petroleum product will be able to maintain performance under
temperature conditions to which it will be subjected during use.

RESEARCH WORK

Other Methods on Measuring Cloud Point and Pour Point:

A. Manual Method
The test oil is required to be transparent in layers 40 mm in thickness (in accordance
with ASTM D2500). The wax crystals typically first form at the lower circumferential wall
with the appearance of a whitish or milky cloud. The cloud point is the temperature just
above where these crystals first appear. The test sample is first poured into a test jar to a
level approximately half full. A cork carrying the test thermometer is used to close the jar.
The thermometer bulb is positioned to rest at the bottom of the jar. The entire test subject
is then placed in a constant temperature cooling bath on top of a gasket to prevent excessive
cooling. At every 1 °C, the sample is taken out and inspected for cloud then quickly
replaced. Successively lower temperature cooling baths may be used depending on the

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 cloud point. Lower temperature cooling bath must have temperature stability not less than
1.5 K for this test.
B. Automatic Method
ASTM D5773, Standard Test Method of Cloud Point of Petroleum Products (Constant
Cooling Rate Method) is an alternative to the manual test procedure. It uses automatic
apparatus and has been found to be equivalent to test method D2500. The D5773 test
method determines the cloud point in a shorter period of time than manual method D2500.
Less operator time is required to run the test using this automatic method. Additionally, no
external chiller bath or refrigeration unit is needed. D5773 is capable of determining cloud
point within a temperature range of -60 °C to +49 °C. Results are reported with a
temperature resolution of 0.1 °C. Under ASTM D5773, the test sample is cooled by a
Peltier device at a constant rate of 1.5 +/- 0.1 °C/min. During this period, the sample is
continuously illuminated by a light source. An array of optical detectors continuously
monitor the sample for the first appearance of a cloud of wax crystals. The temperature at
which the first appearance of wax crystals is detected in the sample is determined to be the
cloud point.
C. Refrigeration Method
To measure the Cloud Point and Gel Point of a fuel oil, put a sample in your refrigerator.
Use a mason jar with a plastic lid, stick a thermometer to measure the temperature as it
cools down. Try to inspect it at 1C increments for cloud point. If the fuel oil does not gel
up in the refrigerator, move it to the freezer and continue checking it on a regular basis
until it gels up.
D. Cool Bath Method
A controlled temperature cold air bath was used for the cloud and pour point tests. The air
bath had three different baths at three different temperatures. (30, 0, -30 Fahrenheit). A
thermometer is used for every sample. A special test jar was used as per ASTM procedure
(ASTM D 97, 57). Other equipment needed was a cork to best fit the special jar, a cork
gasket to fit around the jar, and the jacket that is the cooling bath, and a piece of cork to
lay at the bottom of the jacket. A diagram of the apparatus and equipment is shown in
Figure 11 .

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 Figure 11. Measurement of Cloud and Pour Point by Cooling Bath Method
REFERENCES

 https://www.cram.com/essay/Cloud-Point-and-Pour-Point
Determination/PKSDDHBY4J2Z
 https://www.scribd.com/doc/169387445/Cloud-and-Pour-Point
 http://www.irjes.com/Papers/vol6-issue9/A6910104
 https://pentasflora.com/laboratory-services/cloud-and-pour-point/
 https://www.slideshare.net/monomukhtar/cloud-point-exp
 https://www.ogj.com/articles/print/volume-91/issue-44/in-this-issue/refining/new-
methods-determine-pour-point-more-accurately-than-astm-d-97.html

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