Electrical conductivity of kerosene by DC measurement

Although the conductivity is underlying characteristic of petroleum liquids, there is an inconsistency on recommended procedure of conductivity measurement. Conductivity of petroleum liquids measured by DC methods is time dependent, and it also depends upon electrode configuration and applied voltage. Hence, it is required to look into the phenomena a little far, in order to decide which conductivity could be adopted as an indicator to evaluate the electrostatic risk during the handling of hydrocarbon liquids. The author measured the conductivity of kerosene with electrodes of parallel disk configuration. The time course of the conduction current are compared and the criteria for the reliable measurement is presented.