ASTM D4054-09 - 1.12.2009
 
Significance and Use

The intent of this document is to streamline the approval process. The objective is to permit a new fuel or additive to be evaluated and transitioned into field use in a cost effective and timely manner.

Its purpose is to guide the sponsor of a new fuel or new fuel additive through a clearly defined approval process that includes the prerequisite testing and required interactions with the engine and airframe manufacturers; standards organizations; and airworthiness agencies such as the FAA and EASA. This practice provides a basis for calculating the volume of additive or fuel required for assessment, insight into the cost associated with taking a new fuel or new fuel additive through the approval process, and a clear path forward for introducing a new technology for the benefit of the aviation community.

 
1. Scope

1.1 This practice covers and provides a framework for the qualification and approval of new fuels and new fuel additives for use in commercial and military aviation gas turbine engines. The practice was developed as a guide by the aviation gas-turbine engine Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with ASTM International member support. The OEMs are solely responsible for approval of a fuel or additive in their respective engines and airframes. For the purpose of this guide, “approval” means “permission to use;” it is not an endorsement of any kind. Standards organizations such as ASTM International (Subcommittee D02.J0), United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, and the U.S. military list only those fuels and additives that are mutually acceptable to all OEMs. ASTM International and OEM participation in the evaluation or approval procedure does not constitute an endorsement of the fuel or additive.

1.2 The OEMs will consider a new fuel or additive based on an established need or benefit attributed to its use. Upon OEM and regulatory authority approval, the fuel or fuel additive may be listed in fuel specifications such as Pratt & Whitney (P&W) Service Bulletin No. 2016; General Electric Aviation (GE) Specification No. D50TF2; and Rolls Royce (RR) engine manuals. Subsequent to OEM approval and industry (ASTM) review and ballot, the fuel or fuel additive may be listed in fuel specifications such as Specification D1655, Defence Standard 91-91, United States Air Force MIL-DTL-83133, and the United States Navy MIL-DTL-5624. This qualification and approval process has been coordinated with airworthiness and certification groups within each company, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

1.3 Units of measure throughout this practice are stated in International System of Units (SI) unless the test method specifies non-SI units.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

 
2. Referenced Documents

D4052-22

Standard Test Method for Density, Relative Density, and API Gravity of Liquids by Digital Density Meter

D4066-13(2025)

Standard Classification System for Nylon Injection and Extrusion Materials (PA)

D4529-24

Standard Test Method for Estimation of Net Heat of Combustion of Aviation Fuels

D4629-24

Standard Test Method for Trace Nitrogen in Liquid Hydrocarbons by Syringe/Inlet Oxidative Combustion and Chemiluminescence Detection

D4809-25

Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method)

D3703-18(2024)

Standard Test Method for Hydroperoxide Number of Aviation Turbine Fuels, Gasoline and Diesel Fuels

D3828-16a(2021)

Standard Test Methods for Flash Point by Small Scale Closed Cup Tester (Includes all amendments and changes 7/26/2021).

D5001-26

Standard Test Method for Measurement of Lubricity of Aviation Turbine Fuels by the Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator (BOCLE)

D5291-26

Standard Test Method for Instrumental Determination of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen in Petroleum Products and Lubricants

D5304-20

Standard Test Method for Assessing Middle Distillate Fuel Storage Stability by Oxygen Overpressure

D5363-16(2024)

Standard Specification for Anaerobic Single-Component Adhesives (AN)

D5972-25

Standard Test Method for Freezing Point of Aviation Fuels (Automatic Phase Transition Method)

D7111-16(2025)

Standard Test Method for Determination of Trace Elements in Middle Distillate Fuels by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES)

D3241-26

Standard Test Method for Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Turbine Fuels

D86-23ae2

Standard Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products and Liquid Fuels at Atmospheric Pressure (Includes all amendments and changes 11/4/2024).

D257-14(2021)e1

Standard Test Methods for DC Resistance or Conductance of Insulating Materials (Includes all amendments and changes 5/6/2021).

D395-18(2025)

Standard Test Methods for Rubber Property—Compression Set

D412-16(2021)

Standard Test Methods for Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic Elastomers—Tension

D93-26

Standard Test Methods for Flash Point by Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester

A240/A240M-26

Standard Specification for Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip for Pressure Vessels and for General Applications

B36/B36M-23

Standard Specification for Brass Plate, Sheet, Strip, And Rolled Bar

B93/B93M-21

Standard Specification for Magnesium Alloys in Ingot Form for Sand Castings, Permanent Mold Castings, and Die Castings

D56-22

Standard Test Method for Flash Point by Tag Closed Cup Tester

D471-16a(2021)

Standard Test Method for Rubber Property—Effect of Liquids (Includes all amendments and changes 6/25/2021).

D790-25

Standard Test Methods for Flexural Properties of Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials

D924-23

Standard Test Method for Dissipation Factor (or Power Factor) and Relative Permittivity (Dielectric Constant) of Electrical Insulating Liquids

D1002-10(2019)

Standard Test Method for Apparent Shear Strength of Single-Lap-Joint Adhesively Bonded Metal Specimens by Tension Loading (Metal-to-Metal)

D1319-26

Standard Test Method for Hydrocarbon Types in Liquid Petroleum Products by Fluorescent Indicator Adsorption

D1331-20(2024)

Standard Test Methods for Surface and Interfacial Tension of Solutions of Paints, Solvents, Solutions of Surface-Active Agents, and Related Materials

D445-26

Standard Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids (and Calculation of Dynamic Viscosity)

D1405-01

Standard Test Method for Estimation of Net Heat of Combustion of Aviation Fuels

D1414-22

Standard Test Methods for Rubber O-Rings

D1655-26b

Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels (Includes all amendments and changes 8/10/2026).

D2240-15(2021)

Standard Test Method for Rubber Property—Durometer Hardness

D2386-25ae1

Standard Test Method for Freezing Point of Aviation Fuels (Includes all amendments and changes 6/11/2026).

D2425-23

Standard Test Method for Hydrocarbon Types in Middle Distillates by Mass Spectrometry

D2624-26

Standard Test Methods for Electrical Conductivity of Aviation and Distillate Fuels

D2717-95(2000)

Standard Test Method for Thermal Conductivity of Liquids

D2887-24

Standard Test Method for Boiling Range Distribution of Petroleum Fractions by Gas Chromatography

D3114-72(1982)

Method of Test for D-C Electrical Conductivity of Hydrocarbon Fuels (Withdrawn 1985)

D7566-26a

Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons (Includes all amendments and changes 7/30/2026).

E411-25

Standard Test Method for Trace Quantities of Carbonyl Compounds with 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine

E659-24

Standard Test Method for Autoignition Temperature of Chemicals

E681-09(2023)

Standard Test Method for Concentration Limits of Flammability of Chemicals (Vapors and Gases)

E1269-24

Standard Test Method for Determining Specific Heat Capacity by Differential Scanning Calorimetry

D7171-26

Standard Test Method for Hydrogen Content of Middle Distillate Petroleum Products by Low-Resolution Pulsed Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

FED-STD-791

Testing Method of Lubricants, Liquid Fuels, and Related Products

D6379-21e1

Standard Test Method for Determination of Aromatic Hydrocarbon Types in Aviation Fuels and Petroleum Distillates—High Performance Liquid Chromatography Method with Refractive Index Detection (Includes all amendments and changes 10/22/2021).

D6732-26

Standard Test Method for Determination of Copper in Jet Fuels by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

D6793-02

Standard Test Method for Determination of Isothermal Secant and Tangent Bulk Modulus

D6304-25

Standard Test Method for Determination of Water in Petroleum Products, Lubricating Oils, and Additives by Coulometric Karl Fischer Titration

D7042-25e1

Standard Test Method for Dynamic Viscosity and Density of Liquids by Stabinger Viscometer (and the Calculation of Kinematic Viscosity) (Includes all amendments and changes 9/29/2026).

D6378-22

Standard Test Method for Determination of Vapor Pressure (VPX) of Petroleum Products, Hydrocarbons, and Hydrocarbon-Oxygenate Mixtures (Triple Expansion Method)

D3948-22

Standard Test Method for Determining Water Separation Characteristics of Aviation Turbine Fuels by Portable Separometer

D3701-23

Standard Test Method for Hydrogen Content of Aviation Turbine Fuels by Low Resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometry

D3338-08

Standard Test Method for Estimation of Net Heat of Combustion of Aviation Fuels

D3359-23

Standard Test Methods for Rating Adhesion by Tape Test

D3363-22

Standard Test Method for Film Hardness by Pencil Test

D3242-23

Standard Test Method for Acidity in Aviation Turbine Fuel