Thermo Fisher Scientific has developed a fast, simple, direct-injection ion chromatography method with eluent generation to determine total and potential sulfate and total chloride in gasoline-denatured ethanol samples. Application Note (AN) 1052: Determination of Chloride and Sulfate in Gasoline-Denatured Ethanol demonstrates that this approach—consistent with ASTM International Standard D7319-12—reliably quantifies sulfate and chloride at 65 μg/L and 18 μg/L, respectively—concentrations well below the ASTM Standard D4806 specifications of 4 mg/L for sulfate and 40 mg/L for chloride.

Made from renewable energy sources, ethanol is an attractive alternative to traditional fossil fuels and is blended into most gasoline sold in the U.S. today. The robust carbonate eluent anion-exchange column used in AN 1052 shows no column deterioration over more than 400 sample injections; thus, it is ideal for routine ASTM ethanol testing that is required to minimize contamination that can lead to corrosion of engine components.

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