1 | P a g e

CERTIFICATE IN PROCESS OPERATIONS

Relative density of a material is the ratio of the materials density to the density of some
substance normally used as a reference. This reference material is usually water.
In the Engineering field, Specific Gravity is also used to refer to relative density.
The American Petroleum Institute proposed the API Gravity scale for comparing the densities
of components of petroleum products to themselves or to water. API Gravity gives an indication
of how heavy or light a component is when compared to water. Those components having
values higher than 10 are less dense than water and will float on it, those with values less than
10 are more dense and will sink. A petroleum component will float on another if it has a higher
API value but will sink if it has a lower value.
API Gravity like relative density or specific gravity generally has no units, however its value is
referred to as being in degrees.







3 | P a g e

MEASUREMENT
Measuring the API value is done directly with the use of a hydrometer. Hydrometers are also
calibrated so as to measure specific gravity directly. This instrument is a closed cylindrical glass
tube weighted at the lower end to cause it to float in a perfectly vertical position. The upper
part or stem is graduated so that the gravity of the liquid under investigation is directly read in
degrees API.
The hydrometer is placed in the liquid and allowed to come to rest or equilibrium. At this point,
the line of the flotation level on the stem can be read. In some heavy oils it may be necessary
for the hydrometer to stand in the how overnight to allow gas bubbles to rise before taking a
reading as the presence of air in the liquid will affect the API gravity measurement.


It is important to ensure that the level of the liquid whose specific gravity is being measured is
well above the bulb of the hydrometer so that a reading can be taken at eye level with the
liquid surface against the stem of the hydrometer. For transparent liquids, the reading can be
4 | P a g e

taken easily, however for opaque liquids like crude oil, only the line made at the top of the oil
can be seen. The oil wets the stem of the hydrometer stem causing an upward curve of the
liquid surface at the stem. This wetting effect is compensated for by subtracting 0.1
o
API from
the reading or in the case of specific gravity, 0.001 is added to the result.

Crude oil properties vary at different temperatures. When heated, the crude is thinner and has
a higher gravity than when it is cooled. The oil industry therefore adopted 15.5
o
C or 60
o
F as the
standard at which all gravity readings should be taken. Readings taken at any other
temperature has to be corrected to 15.5
o
C with the aid of gravity correction table.











5 | P a g e

APPARATUS:
Relative density glass hydrometers
Glass thermometers, general purpose in
o
C
250 ml graduated cylinders
Paper towels


PROCEDURE:
1. Samples of diesel, kerosene, gasoline and crude oil were obtained and poured into
separate 250 ml graduated cylinders to that they were about 80% full.
2. Glass hydrometers were gently lowered into the fluid in each cylinder, away from the
cylinder walls so that they floated perfectly upright.
3. The hydrometers were read to the nearest scale division and the correct readings taken
at eye level. In the case of the crude oil which was opaque, the appropriate correction
factor was applied.
4. The temperatures were measured before and after insertion of the hydrometers and in
cases where changes occurred, the average was used
5. When the readings were taken, the thermometers and hydrometers were removed and
dried thoroughly with paper towels and then stored horizontally.



RESULTS:
Description of
Sample
Measured Specific
Gravity at ambient
Temperature
Calculated
Specific Gravity at
15.6 degrees C(
consult relative
density tables)
Calculated API
Gravity at 15.6
degrees C
S.G TEMP(
o

C)
S.G TEMP
(
o
C)
Kerosene 0.81 26 0.8172 15.6 41.7
Gasoline 0.75 22 0.7550 15.6 55.9
Diesel/Lube Oil 0.86 26 0.8669 15.6 31.7
Crude Oil 0.88 22.5 0.8845 15.6 28.5



6 | P a g e

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
1. Correction of specific gravity value of gasoline to 60
o
F:
0.7548 +0.6(0.7552 0.7548) = 0.7550

2. = (
141.5

) 131.5 (for the gasoline)

= (
141.5
0.7550
) 131.5

= 55.9

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:
1. A high API gravity will give a low specific gravity value
2. =
141.5
131.5+ 63.5

= 0.7256

3. If a sample had an API gravity of 63.5 at 15.6
o
C, then this sample would be a sample of
heptane or hexane.








7 | P a g e

DISCUSSIONS:
For this experiment, ambient temperature was used as the standard temperature for each
sample so as to obtain consistent specific gravity values.
The hydrometers were rotated to centre them and also to eliminate any bubbles from the
respective liquids.
To minimize parallax errors when reading the hydrometers, each student in the group read the
hydrometers at eye level and an average value was taken. The hydrometers were allowed to
come to stable equilibrium before any readings were taken. The thermometers were thoroughly
wiped clean before use in each sample. Temperature readings were taken at eye level by all
students in the group and an average taken. The thermometers were placed close to the middle
of the measuring cylinders when taking temperature readings since the outer layer of liquid
close to the cylinder wall may have had a slightly different temperature from that closer to the
middle.
The required document, ASTM Publication D1250-80 was not readily available in its entirety and
therefore an alternative, The National Standard Petroleum Oil Tables, which is approved by API
and ASTM was used to correct specific gravity values.
Specific gravity and API values which were measured and calculated respectively were
consistent with that expected for crude oil fractions, i.e. the lighter fractions have higher API
value and lower specific gravity. The heavier fractions have lower API values but higher specific
gravity values.


CONCLUSION:
The experiment was successful as far as minimizing errors, the measured specific gravity values
and calculated API values were consistent with those for the liquids under investigation.









8 | P a g e


REFERENCES
1. National Bureau of Standards, U.S. Department of Commerce National Standard
Petroleum Oil Tables, Circular C410, Issued: March 4, 1936.
2. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Standard Petroleum Oil Tables, 89-125
3. API gravity, Last modified, Jan 6, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API_gravity
4. API Gravity, 2013, http://www.petroleum.co.uk/api
5. API gravity
6. API Gravity

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards, National Standard Petroleum Oil
Tables, Ciruclar C410, Issued March 4, 1936, 89-125
Wikipedia, API gravity, last modified, Jan 6, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API_gravity
Petroleum.co.uk, API Gravity, 2013, http://www.petroleum.co.uk/api