The ASTM D-1500 color scale is a critical standard in the petrochemical industry, used to determine the color of petroleum products such as lubricating oils, heating oils, diesel fuel oils and petroleum waxes. This scale is the principal quality measurement used for the purchase and sale of partially refined oils.
As an oil is refined, there exists a correlation between the color of the distillate and the degree of refinement. During the refining process, crude oil is transformed into a range of products with distinct colors ranging from the dark red-black of crude through to the pale yellow hue of the lighter fractions.
The distinct colors of petroleum can be accurately measured during the refinement process using the ASTM D 1500 color scale with a Kemtrak DCP007 color analyzer, which operates across the full range of 0 to 8. With thousands of installations worldwide Kemtrak is the industry leader in producing in-line LED-based photometers with more than 25 years of experience.