GOST 4338-91 PDF

Full title and description

GOST 4338-91 — "Топливо для авиационных газотурбинных двигателей. Определение максимальной высоты некоптящего пламени" (Aviation turbine fuels. Determination of smoke point). The standard defines the method and apparatus for measuring the maximum height of a non-sooting (smoke) flame produced when burning aviation turbine fuels and light kerosenes in a standard lamp.

Abstract

GOST 4338-91 specifies a laboratory method to determine the smoke point (maximum non-sooting flame height) of aviation turbine fuels by burning a measured sample in a closed lamp with a graduated scale. The procedure covers apparatus geometry, wick preparation, calibration using control fuel mixtures, sample preparation, measurement technique (three observations), and calculation/reporting of results. The method is aligned with ISO 3014 (applied with national additions).

General information

• Status: Replaced / superseded (withdrawn and replaced by a later edition, see Related standards).
• Publication date: Adopted 1991 (designation year) — date of introduction 01 January 1993 (official introduction into use).
• Publisher: Committee for Standardization and Metrology of the USSR (Gosstandart) — national standards body (later activity carried forward by Rosstandart / interstate standards publishers).
• ICS / categories: 75.160.20 (Liquid fuels; aviation fuels).
• Edition / version: GOST 4338-91 (original 1991 designation; text prepared by VNIINP and issued as the national / interstate standard with references to ISO 3014-81).
• Number of pages: 11–12 pages (typical published PDF/print runs list 11–12 pages).

Scope

The standard applies to aviation turbine fuels and light kerosenes and establishes a laboratory test method for determining the maximum height of a non-sooting flame (smoke point) when the fuel is burned under specified conditions in a standard lamp. It is intended for quality control, acceptance testing and research on fuel smoke characteristics.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of smoke point: the flame height (mm) measured before visible smoke appears when burning a fuel sample in a standard lamp.
• Detailed apparatus specification: lamp geometry, reservoir and wick tube dimensions, scale range and placement, and requirements for lamp door glass and internal surfaces to minimize reflections.
• Wick preparation and conditioning: extraction and drying cycles for wicks, trimming procedure and mounting to ensure repeatability.
• Calibration procedure: use of two control fuel mixtures, daily operator calibration, recalibration on operator change or significant barometric pressure change, and calculation of a correction coefficient for the instrument.
• Test procedure and repeatability: setting an initial flame height, permitting a burn-in period, making three independent observations; if results differ by more than 1.0 mm, the test is repeated with a fresh sample and wick.
• Sample handling and reporting: required sample volumes, cleaning of apparatus between tests, calculation and recording of the smoke-point result in millimetres, and inclusion of test conditions and calibration data in the test report.

Typical use and users

GOST 4338-91 is used by petrochemical and aviation fuel producers, independent testing and calibration laboratories, airport fuel quality control groups, research institutes studying combustion and emissions, and manufacturers of laboratory lamps and test equipment. It supports product specification testing, batch acceptance, and inter-laboratory comparisons.

Related standards

The method in GOST 4338-91 is based on ISO 3014 (applied with national additions). It replaced an earlier national edition (GOST 4338-74) and has itself been succeeded by later standards and interstate standards covering smoke-point determination for aviation fuels (examples in the succession include intergovernmental / national updates such as GOST 33193 (later editions) and the newer GOST 4338-2024 series). The standard also references related domestic test methods and material specifications (for example, several GOSTs on solvents, isooctane, and lamp construction referenced in its normative list).

Keywords

smoke point; non-sooting flame; aviation turbine fuel; kerosene; lamp method; wick; calibration; fuel quality; GOST 4338-91; ISO 3014.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: GOST 4338-91 is the national (USSR/Russian) method for determining the maximum height of a non-sooting (smoke) flame produced by aviation turbine fuels and light kerosenes when burned in a standardized lamp. It implements ISO 3014 with national additions.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers apparatus design and dimensions, wick preparation, calibration using control fuel mixtures, sample preparation, measurement procedure (including repeatability criteria) and reporting of the smoke-point result in millimetres.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Fuel producers, quality control and testing laboratories, aviation fuel acceptors, research institutes, and equipment manufacturers that build lamps and test apparatus for smoke-point determination.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: GOST 4338-91 has been listed as replaced/superseded by a later edition (notably referenced as GOST 4338-2024 in public catalogues) and has formal withdrawal/replace dates recorded in national listings; users should apply the currently valid national or interstate standard (check the latest national registry or standards publisher for the current active document).

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: The standard is one in the family of fuel test methods and is linked to the ISO/IEC framework (ISO 3014). It references and is referenced by other GOSTs covering related test methods, fuel specifications, and apparatus standards; successive national/interstate revisions form a series of updates for smoke-point determination of aviation fuels.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Smoke point, non-sooting flame, aviation turbine fuel, kerosene, lamp method, calibration, wick preparation, GOST 4338-91, ISO 3014.