⛽ Unleaded petrol — two grades, requirements and test methods, PN-EN 228

Petrochemistry PN-EN 228

Overview

THE SCOPE FROM THE PKN CATALOGUE CARD, QUOTED VERBATIM: "This document specifies requirements and test methods for marketed unleaded petrol. The standard applies to unleaded petrol intended for use in vehicles fitted with petrol engines designed to run on unleaded petrol. This document specifies requirements for two grades of unleaded petrol: — one grade with a maximum oxygen content of 3.7 % (m/m) and a maximum ethanol content of 10.0 % (V/V) in Table 1; — one grade in Table 2 with a maximum oxygen content of 2.7 % (m/m) and a maximum ethanol content of 5.0 % (V/V) intended for older vehicles whose warranty does not cover the possibility of using unleaded petrol was defined in Table 1 [so in the card — the Polish sentence breaks off grammatically here]. NOTE 1 Both grades are based on the requirements of European directives."

TWO GRADES — THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THIS STANDARD. The standard describes not one petrol but two. The Table 1 grade admits up to 3.7 % (m/m) oxygen and up to 10.0 % (V/V) ethanol; the Table 2 grade up to 2.7 % (m/m) and 5.0 % (V/V) respectively, and is intended for older vehicles whose warranty does not cover the Table 1 fuel. The practical consequence is sharp: the sentence "the petrol meets PN-EN 228" does not say which grade is meant. The same sample may conform as a Table 1 fuel and fail as a Table 2 fuel, because it exceeds the ethanol limit for older vehicles. The report must therefore name the grade, not merely the number of the standard.

WHY THE DISTINCTION EXISTS. The card states in NOTE 1 that both grades are based on the requirements of European directives — the basis is therefore regulatory. The purpose of the distinction follows directly from the wording of the scope: the Table 2 grade is intended for vehicles "whose warranty does not cover the use of" the Table 1 fuel.

THE CHANGE OF EDITION ON 2 JANUARY 2026 — AND WHAT MAKES IT PAINFUL. The card of PN-EN 228+A1:2017-06 in the POLISH version gives the "Date of withdrawal" row as 02-01-2026 and "Superseded by" as PN-EN 228:2026-01 — the English version. That was the LAST edition of this standard available in Polish. On the same day PN-EN 590:2022-08, which has its own entry in this knowledge base, was withdrawn.

NINE YEARS OF A SINGLE EDITION. The superseded edition bears the designation PN-EN 228+A1:2017-06; the "+A1" element indicates an item with an amendment incorporated into the text. The preceding link, PN-EN 228:2013-04, was withdrawn on 30-06-2017. The 2026 change is therefore the first in nearly a decade, and commentaries published in that time describe a state of affairs that since January 2026 no longer holds.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not have the text of the standard — PKN supplies it for a fee (25 pages, KT 222/PK 1 — the PKN technical committee for Liquid Fuels). Apart from the four values in the scope, quoted above, WE GIVE NO VALUE from Tables 1 and 2: neither octane numbers, nor vapour pressure, nor sulfur content, nor density, nor distillation characteristics.

Method principle

Assessing the conformity of petrol consists in setting the test results against the table of requirements proper to the GRADE of the fuel. The standard contains two such tables, differing in the admissible oxygen and ethanol content. For each parameter a limit value and a specified method of determination are given; conformity is pronounced for the whole table at once and against one, named grade.

Applications

• Assessing the conformity of unleaded petrol with the requirements — testing for the purposes of fuel trading
• Distinguishing the grade of fuel: ordinary, and that intended for older vehicles
• The reference document for eight method entries in this knowledge base (distillation, vapour pressure, oxygenates and others)
• Settling complaints about the quality of petrol, including allegations of excessive ethanol content

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-EN 228:2026-01 (wersja angielska; wprowadza EN 228:2025 [IDT])

Title (PL)

Paliwa do pojazdów samochodowych -- Benzyna bezołowiowa -- Wymagania i metody badań

Title (EN)

Automotive fuels — Unleaded petrol — Requirements and test methods

Step-by-step procedure

1. Establish the grade of the fuel

   Decide whether the assessment concerns the Table 1 or the Table 2 grade. The whole table of requirements follows from this.

2. Establish the edition of the standard

   Since 02-01-2026 PN-EN 228:2026-01 has been in force. The +A1:2017-06 edition, the only one available in Polish, was withdrawn that day.

3. Read the test programme from the proper table

   The standard sets the parameters and the methods assigned to them, separately for each grade.

4. Carry out the determinations by the specified methods

   The method is part of the requirement; a measurement by another method does not demonstrate conformity.

5. Assess as a whole and record

   In the report give the full designation of the standard with its year AND the grade of fuel against which conformity was pronounced.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Petrol is an extremely flammable liquid — its vapours form explosive mixtures with air; work away from sources of ignition, in an area protected against static electricity
• Petrol contains benzene, a carcinogen; work under a fume hood and protect the skin
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the edition available in Polish has been withdrawn since 02-01-2026 — commentaries from 2017 to 2025 describe requirements that are no longer in force

Frequently asked questions