The pour point of a liquid (crude oil or a petroleum fraction) is the temperature below which the

liquid becomes plastic and loses its flow characteristics. So pour point is the demarcation point
of a fluid’s flowability and an important parameter of liquids at low temperatures. Above the
pour point temperature, the liquid will flow without stirring, under standard conditions. This is
the lowest temperature at which the oil will flow under gravity. The pour point of a liquid
depends on its molecular structure and the presence of waxes in the liquid.

The pour point is the lowest temperature at which oil flows in a specified lab test.
Specifically, the pour point is 3℃ (5℉) above the temperature at which the oil shows no
movement when a lab sample container is held horizontally for 5 seconds.

Pour point is an indication of the cold temperature properties of oil. But we should not
select a lubricant product based solely on its pour point. The cloud point is also a very
important factor for choosing any lubricant for any application. Cloud point is
approximately the low temperature at which the oil becomes cloudy due to the formation
of wax crystals within the oil. ASTM D97 (ISO 3016 or IP 15) covers the standard
methods to measure the pour point of petroleum products. In addition, several methods
are used to determine cloud points, including ASTM D5772.

How to Measure Pour Point of Lubricants?

 The Seta Cloud and Pour Point Bath give the required cold bath to liquid to
take them to the necessary stage.
 It utilizes the current and with the help of conditioners and couples present
in them. They cool the fluids up.
 They hold four test positions.
 They can supply the temperature range from 9°C to -69°C.
 The equipment identifies the minimum safe operating temperature.
 The bath accommodates four jackets and a steel cover, and a drain tap.

Methods:

These are the most common methods that are used to determine the pour point of a
product:

1. D97 – Pour Point of Petroleum Products

2. D5853 – Pour Point of Crude Oils
3. D5949 – Pour Point of Petroleum Products (Automatic Pressure Pulsing
Method)

Significance and Features of Pour Point

 The pour point indicates a liquid’s lower temperature properties.

  If the surrounding temperature is less than the pour point, it cannot be transferred
through a pipeline.
 The pour point is more significant for Lubricating oils.
 Pour points provide the lowest temperature for that fluid at which it can transfer by
pouring.
 The high value of the pour point means it can become semi-solid at that temperature
which may cause jamming of the machine during operation.
 For Lubricating oils, the pour points determine the liquid’s suitability be used as a
lubricant at sub-zero temperatures. Also, the pour point indicates the dissolved wax
concentration in the oil.
 The pour point is used to allow process dimensioning and pumping calculations and in
preventive actions and process improvement.

Pour Point Measurement

There are two methods for measuring the pour point of a liquid; the Manual method and the
Automatic method.

Measuring the pour point of petroleum products

Manual Method of Pour Point Measurement:

ASTM D97 (ISO 3016 or IP 15) standard provides the standard test methods for determining the
pour point of Crude oil. As per these standards, the Crude oil specimen is cooled inside a cooling
bath. Paraffin wax crystals are formed upon cooling. At about 9°C above the expected pour
point, and for every subsequent 3°C, the test jar is removed from the cooling bath and tilted to
check if the crude oil surface is moving. When the crude oil specimen ceases to flow when tilted,
the jar is held horizontally for 5 sec. If the liquid does not flow, the pour point of crude oil is
determined by adding 3°C to the result. So Pour Point=Temperature at which the liquid does not
flow+3°C. ASTM D97, Standard Test Method for Pour Point of Crude Oils. The
specimen is cooled inside a cooling bath to allow the formation of paraffin wax crystals.
At about 9 °C above the expected pour point, and for every subsequent 3 °C, the test jar
is removed and tilted to check for surface movement. When the specimen does not flow
when tilted, the jar is held horizontally for 5 sec. If it does not flow, 3 °C is added to the
corresponding temperature, resulting in the pour point temperature.

Automatic Method of Pour Point Measurement:

ASTM D5949 provides the automatic method for pour point measurement of petroleum
products. This method is known as the Automatic Pressure Pulsing Method. Under ASTM
D5949, the test sample is heated and then cooled by a Peltier device at a rate of 1.5±0.1 °C/min.
A pressurized pulse of compressed gas is imparted onto the surface of the sample at either 1 °C
or 3 °C intervals. The liquid sample is continuously monitored for movement by multiple optical
detectors. The lowest temperature at which surface movement is detected on the sample is
indicated to be the pour point.

The pour point of crude oils generally relates to their paraffin content. With an increase in the
paraffin content, the pour point of crude oil increases.

ASTM D5949, Standard Test Method for Pour Point of Petroleum Products (Automatic
Pressure Pulsing Method) is an alternative to the manual test procedure. It uses
automatic apparatus, and yields pour point results in a format similar to the manual
method (ASTM D97) when reporting at a 3 °C.

Under ASTM D5949, the test sample is heated and then cooled by a Peltier device at a
rate of 1.5±0.1 °C/min. At either 1 °C or 3 °C intervals, a pressurized pulse of
compressed gas is imparted onto the sample’s surface. Multiple optical detectors
continuously monitor the sample for movement. The lowest temperature at which
motion is detected on the sample surface is the pour point.
Factors Affecting Pour Point of Crude Oil
Factors that directly affect the pour point of crude oil are

 Temperature differential
 Paraffin wax content
 Flow rate
 Surface Properties
 Viscosity
Due to the presence of high content of high molecular weight components, such as waxes,
asphaltenes, and resins, Heavy and extra-heavy crude oils normally have higher pour points. The
pour point of a liquid can be improved using depressants like polymethacrylates, alkylated wax
phenol, Alkylated wax naphthalene, etc. Such depressants modify the interface between the oil
and wax present.