EN ISO 20884:2019
(Main)Petroleum products - Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels - Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ISO 20884:2019)
General Information
- Abstract
This document specifies a wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) test method for the determination of the sulfur content of liquid, homogeneous automotive fuels from 5 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg, which have a maximum oxygen content of 3,7 % (m/m). This product range covers:
— diesel fuels containing up to about 30 % (V/V) fatty acid methyl esters (FAME),
— motor gasolines containing up to about 10 % (V/V) ethanol,
— synthetic fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and gas to liquid (GTL) having sulfur contents in the range of 5 mg/kg to 45 mg/kg.
Products with higher oxygen content show significant matrix effects, e.g. pure FAME used as biodiesel, nevertheless, pure FAME can be analysed when the corresponding procedures are followed (see 5.3 and 8.1).
Other products can be analysed with this test method, though precision data for products other than those mentioned have not been established for this document.
NOTE 1 Sulfur contents higher than 500 mg/kg can be determined after sample dilution, however, the precision was not established for diluted samples.
NOTE 2 For the purposes of this document, "% (m/m)" and "% (V/V)" are used to represent the mass fraction, w, and the volume fraction, φ, of a material respectively.
- Status
- Published
- Publication Date
- 01-Oct-2019
- Withdrawal Date
- 29-Apr-2020
- Technical Committee
- CEN/TC 19 - Petroleum products, lubricants and related products
- Drafting Committee
- CEN/TC 19/WG 27 - Elemental analysis of petroleum and related products
- Current Stage
- 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
- Start Date
- 02-Oct-2019
- Completion Date
- 02-Oct-2019
- Directive
- Not Harmonized98/70/EC - Quality of petrol and diesel fuels (Dir. 93/12/EEC amendment)
Overview
EN ISO 20884:2019 - Petroleum products: Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels by wavelength-dispersive X‑ray fluorescence (WDXRF) - specifies a laboratory test method for measuring sulfur in liquid, homogeneous automotive fuels. The method covers sulfur concentrations from 5 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg for fuels with a maximum oxygen content of 3.7 % (m/m). The scope explicitly includes diesel (up to ~30 % V/V FAME), motor gasoline (up to ~10 % V/V ethanol), and synthetic fuels such as HVO and GTL (typically 5–45 mg/kg S).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Analytical technique: Wavelength‑dispersive X‑ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF) - measurement of S K-L X‑ray fluorescence and background counts.
- Measuring range: 5 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg sulfur; higher concentrations can be measured after dilution (precision not established for diluted samples).
- Matrix limitations: Maximum oxygen content 3.7 % (m/m); higher oxygen matrices (e.g., pure FAME) can cause matrix effects and require special procedures (see clauses 5.3 and 8.1).
- Calibration and quality control: blank, stock and calibration solutions; calibration curves and periodic performance checks of the spectrometer.
- Instrument settings: measuring parameters, optimization and specific steps for instruments using monochromatic excitation are included.
- Sampling references: ISO 3170 and ISO 3171 for manual and automatic sampling of petroleum liquids.
- Precision & reporting: clauses define repeatability, reproducibility and test report contents.
- Safety: warns about hazardous materials, equipment and the need for appropriate safety measures.
Practical applications
- Routine quality control of automotive fuels at refineries, fuel terminals and blending facilities.
- Regulatory compliance testing for sulfur limits in fuels used to control vehicle emissions.
- Laboratory method for fuel producers, independent testing labs, and research institutions evaluating sulfur in diesel, gasoline, biodiesel blends (FAME), HVO, and GTL.
- Useful where fast, non-destructive determination of total sulfur is required for operational decisions and batch release.
Who should use this standard
- Analytical chemists and laboratory technicians performing fuel analysis.
- QA/QC managers in petroleum refining and fuel distribution.
- Certification bodies and regulators validating fuel sulfur content.
- Instrument vendors and method developers implementing WDXRF procedures.
Related standards
- ISO 3170 - Petroleum liquids - Manual sampling
- ISO 3171 - Petroleum liquids - Automatic pipeline sampling
- Supersedes: EN ISO 20884:2011
Keywords: EN ISO 20884:2019, WDXRF, sulfur content, automotive fuels, diesel, gasoline, FAME, HVO, GTL, fuel quality, sulfur analysis.
Relations
- Effective Date
- 09-Oct-2019
- Effective Date
- 25-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 25-Aug-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Referred By
EN 16734:2022 - Automotive fuels - Automotive B10 diesel fuel - Requirements and test methods - Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
- Referred By
EN 17867:2023 - Petrol fuel for small internal combustion engines - Requirements and test methods - Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
Get Certified
Connect with accredited certification bodies for this standard

Element Materials Technology
Materials testing and product certification.
ABS Group Brazil
ABS Group certification services in Brazil.

ABS Quality Evaluations Inc.
American Bureau of Shipping quality certification.
Sponsored listings
Frequently Asked Questions
EN ISO 20884:2019 is a standard published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its full title is "Petroleum products - Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels - Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ISO 20884:2019)". This standard covers: This document specifies a wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) test method for the determination of the sulfur content of liquid, homogeneous automotive fuels from 5 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg, which have a maximum oxygen content of 3,7 % (m/m). This product range covers: — diesel fuels containing up to about 30 % (V/V) fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), — motor gasolines containing up to about 10 % (V/V) ethanol, — synthetic fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and gas to liquid (GTL) having sulfur contents in the range of 5 mg/kg to 45 mg/kg. Products with higher oxygen content show significant matrix effects, e.g. pure FAME used as biodiesel, nevertheless, pure FAME can be analysed when the corresponding procedures are followed (see 5.3 and 8.1). Other products can be analysed with this test method, though precision data for products other than those mentioned have not been established for this document. NOTE 1 Sulfur contents higher than 500 mg/kg can be determined after sample dilution, however, the precision was not established for diluted samples. NOTE 2 For the purposes of this document, "% (m/m)" and "% (V/V)" are used to represent the mass fraction, w, and the volume fraction, φ, of a material respectively.
This document specifies a wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) test method for the determination of the sulfur content of liquid, homogeneous automotive fuels from 5 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg, which have a maximum oxygen content of 3,7 % (m/m). This product range covers: — diesel fuels containing up to about 30 % (V/V) fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), — motor gasolines containing up to about 10 % (V/V) ethanol, — synthetic fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and gas to liquid (GTL) having sulfur contents in the range of 5 mg/kg to 45 mg/kg. Products with higher oxygen content show significant matrix effects, e.g. pure FAME used as biodiesel, nevertheless, pure FAME can be analysed when the corresponding procedures are followed (see 5.3 and 8.1). Other products can be analysed with this test method, though precision data for products other than those mentioned have not been established for this document. NOTE 1 Sulfur contents higher than 500 mg/kg can be determined after sample dilution, however, the precision was not established for diluted samples. NOTE 2 For the purposes of this document, "% (m/m)" and "% (V/V)" are used to represent the mass fraction, w, and the volume fraction, φ, of a material respectively.
EN ISO 20884:2019 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 75.080 - Petroleum products in general; 75.160.30 - Gaseous fuels. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
EN ISO 20884:2019 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to EN ISO 20884:2011, ISO 3170:2004, ISO 3171:1988, EN 1661:1997, EN ISO 15792-3:2008, EN 15940:2023, EN 590:2025, EN 228:2025, EN 590:2022, CEN/TS 18227:2025, EN 16709:2024, CEN/TS 15940:2012, EN 17867:2023+A1:2025, EN 16734:2022, EN 17867:2023. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
EN ISO 20884:2019 is associated with the following European legislation: EU Directives/Regulations: 98/70/EC. When a standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, products manufactured in conformity with it benefit from a presumption of conformity with the essential requirements of the corresponding EU directive or regulation.
EN ISO 20884:2019 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2019
Nadomešča:
SIST EN ISO 20884:2011
Naftni proizvodi - Določevanje žvepla v gorivih za motorna vozila - Metoda z
valovno disperzivno rentgensko fluorescenčno spektrometrijo (ISO 20884:2019)
Petroleum products - Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels - Wavelength-
dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ISO 20884:2019)
Mineralölerzeugnisse - Bestimmung des Schwefelgehaltes in Kraftstoffen -
Wellenlängendispersive Röntgenfluoreszenz-Spektrometrie (ISO 20884:2019)
Produits pétroliers - Détermination de la teneur en soufre des carburants pour
automobiles - Spectrométrie de fluorescence de rayons X dispersive en longueur d'onde
(ISO 20884:2019)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 20884:2019
ICS:
75.160.20 Tekoča goriva Liquid fuels
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EN ISO 20884
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
October 2019
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 75.080; 75.160.30 Supersedes EN ISO 20884:2011
English Version
Petroleum products - Determination of sulfur content of
automotive fuels - Wavelength-dispersive X-ray
fluorescence spectrometry (ISO 20884:2019)
Produits pétroliers - Détermination de la teneur en Mineralölerzeugnisse - Bestimmung des
soufre des carburants pour automobiles - Schwefelgehaltes in Kraftstoffen -
Spectrométrie de fluorescence de rayons X dispersive Wellenlängendispersive Röntgenfluoreszenz-
en longueur d'onde (ISO 20884:2019) Spektrometrie (ISO 20884:2019)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 5 August 2019.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2019 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 20884:2019 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
European foreword
This document (EN ISO 20884:2019) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 28 "Petroleum
and related products, fuels and lubricants from natural or synthetic sources" in collaboration with
Technical Committee CEN/TC 19 “Gaseous and liquid fuels, lubricants and related products of
petroleum, synthetic and biological origin.” the secretariat of which is held by NEN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by April 2020, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by April 2020.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 20884:2011.
This document has been prepared under a mandate given to CEN by the European Commission and the
European Free Trade Association.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 20884:2019 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 20884:2019 without any modification.
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 20884
Third edition
2019-08
Petroleum products — Determination
of sulfur content of automotive fuels
— Wavelength-dispersive X-ray
fluorescence spectrometry
Produits pétroliers — Détermination de la teneur en soufre des
carburants pour automobiles — Spectrométrie de fluorescence de
rayons X dispersive en longueur d'onde
Reference number
ISO 20884:2019(E)
©
ISO 2019
ISO 20884:2019(E)
© ISO 2019
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved
ISO 20884:2019(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 2
5 Reagents . 2
6 Apparatus . 2
7 Sampling . 3
8 Calibration solutions . 3
8.1 Blank solution . 3
8.2 Stock solution . 3
8.3 Calibration solutions . 3
8.4 Storage and stability of the calibration solutions . 4
9 Settings . 4
9.1 Measuring parameters . 4
9.2 Optimization . 4
9.3 Performance check of the spectrometer . 4
10 Calibration . 5
10.1 General . 5
10.2 Calibration solutions . 5
10.3 Calibration curves . 5
10.4 Checking . 6
11 Procedure. 6
11.1 Samples with sulfur contents between 5 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg . 6
11.2 Samples with sulfur contents between 60 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg. 6
12 Expression of results . 6
13 Precision . 7
13.1 General . 7
13.2 Repeatability, r . 7
13.3 Reproducibility, R . 7
14 Test report . 7
Annex A (informative) Good practices . 8
Bibliography . 9
ISO 20884:2019(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing Documents is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates
closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical
standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso
.org/iso/foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 28, Petroleum and related products, fuels
and lubricants from natural or synthetic sources.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 20884:2011), which has been technically
revised. The main changes compared to the previous edition are as follows:
— extension of the scope to include hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and the synthetic fuel “gas to
liquid” (GTL);
— inclusion of specific procedural steps for instruments utilizing monochromatic excitation.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/members .html.
iv © ISO 2019 – All rights reserved
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 20884:2019(E)
Petroleum products — Determination of sulfur content
of automotive fuels — Wavelength-dispersive X-ray
fluorescence spectrometry
WARNING — The use of this document can involve hazardous materials, operations and
equipment. This document does not purport to address all of the safety problems associated
with its use. It is the responsibility of users of this document to take appropriate measures to
ensure the safety and health of personnel prior to application of the document, and fulfil other
applicable requirements for this purpose.
1 Scope
This document specifies a wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) test method for the
determination of the sulfur content of liquid, homogeneous automotive fuels from 5 mg/kg to 500 mg/
kg, which have a maximum oxygen content of 3,7 % (m/m). This product range covers:
— diesel fuels containing up to about 30 % (V/V) fatty acid methyl esters (FAME),
— motor gasolines containing up to about 10 % (V/V) ethanol,
— synthetic fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and gas to liquid (GTL) having sulfur
contents in the range of 5 mg/kg to 45 mg/kg.
Products with higher oxygen content show significant matrix effects, e.g. pure FAME used as biodiesel,
nevertheless, pure FAME can be analysed when the corresponding procedures are followed (see 5.3
and 8.1).
Other products can be analysed with this test method, though precision data for products other than
those mentioned have not been established for this document.
NOTE 1 Sulfur contents higher than 500 mg/kg can be determined after sample dilution, however, the
precision was not established for diluted samples.
NOTE 2 For the purposes of this document, “% (m/m)” and “% (V/V)” are used to represent the mass fraction,
w, and the volume fraction, φ, of a material respectively.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 3170, Petroleum liquids — Manual sampling
ISO 3171, Petroleum liquids — Automatic pipeline sampling
3 Terms and definitions
No terms and definitions are listed in this document.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in s
...



