1.1 This automated laboratory test method covers the quantitative determination of the ignition characteristics of conventional diesel fuel oil, oil-sands based fuels, blends of fuel containing biodiesel material, diesel fuel oils containing cetane number improver additives, and is applicable to products typical of ASTM Specification D975 grades No. 1-D and 2-D regular and low-sulfur diesel fuel oils, European standard EN 590, and Canadian standards CAN/CGSB-3.517 and 3.6-2000. The test method may also be applied to the quantitative determination of the ignition characteristics of diesel fuel blending components.

1.2 This test method measures the ignition delay and utilizes a constant volume combustion chamber with direct fuel injection into heated, compressed air. An equation correlates an ignition delay determination to cetane number by Test Method D613, resulting in a derived cetane number (DCN).

1.3 This test method covers the ignition delay range from 3.1 to 6.5 ms (64 to 33 DCN). The combustion analyzer can measure shorter and longer ignition delays, but precision may be affected. For these shorter or longer ignition delays the correlation equation for DCN is given in Appendix X2. There is no information about how DCNs outside the 33 to 64 range compare to Test Method D613 cetane numbers.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.