European Methods Update

Sponsored by VUV Analytics Inc.

Sean Jameson, a senior vice president of business development with VUV Analytics Inc., describes the company’s expanding footprint in Europe, supported by a broad network of regional partners and global collaborations with major instrument manufacturers. This growing presence has helped drive increased adoption of its VUV-based analytical solutions across the fuels and petrochemical sectors.

He explains that much of this growth is rooted in continued expansion of standardized fuel methods, covering gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and biodiesel, and emerging applications such as pyrolysis oils. A key milestone is the development of the EN 18015 standard method for the analysis of finished gasoline in Europe, which accounts for ethers and alcohols and serves as an alternative to traditional multi-column reference approaches. This achievement also contributed to the company’s inclusion in the updated EN 228 specification, reflecting broader regulatory acceptance of VUV-based hydrocarbon characterization methods.

Jameson highlights increasing focus on European regulatory priorities, including improved detection and reporting of trace compounds of concern such as cumene in fuels. VUV Analytics is also working with industry groups such as the Energy Institute to support development and refinement of standardized methods for these measurements, with the goal of improving accuracy and consistency in regulated testing.

Additional efforts include method development for diesel and biodiesel applications supporting fuel specifications such as EN 590 and EN 15940, as well as improvements to jet fuel methodologies that extend analytical range and reduce reliance on older reference techniques.

Beyond conventional fuels, the company is advancing work in waste plastic pyrolysis oils, an emerging European commodity that is undergoing interlaboratory studies for potential standardization.

Alongside fuels applications, VUV Analytics is expanding its technology platform with new detector systems. The LUMA trace detector is being developed for high-sensitivity gas chromatography applications, while the HYDRA system extends VUV-based detection into liquid chromatography workflows. Together, these developments reflect a broader effort to enhance analytical sensitivity and expand the range of potential applications across laboratory testing environments.