ASTM International proposes revision to corrosive sulfur standard

Updated standard would provide more sensitive test

West Conshohocken, Penn.-based American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International recently announced a proposed revision to standard D 1275, “Test Method for Corrosive Sulfur in Electrical Insulating Oils.” Under the revision, the standard would provide a means to certify that new or in-service oils either contain or do not contain corrosive sulfur at a dangerous level.

In the past five years, certain insulating oils have been found to contain corrosive sulfur that can produce copper sulfide deposits as a function of time and temperature in operating equipment.