Determination of total silicon content in biomethane: Development of a validation approach for ISO 2613-1, as a practical application of the ISO guide under preparation: Biomethane-Performance evaluation for analytical systems

This study presents a validation protocol for the atomic emission spectroscopy (AES) method for determining total silicon in biomethane, developed in alignment with ISO 2613-1:2023. The work serves as a practical demonstration, contributing to the forthcoming ISO validation guide for analytical methods assessing impurities in biomethane, prepared within ISO/TC 193 WG 25: Biomethane. The protocol describes the complete analytical process: absorption of volatile siloxane compounds in mineral acid, chemical derivatization into a suitable form for spectroscopy, and measurement of the resulting liquid sample using an optical plasma emission instrument. Method development included optimisation of sampling, derivatization, sample preparation, and quality control procedures. Validation was carried out through rigorous evaluation of linearity, stability, robustness, selectivity, sensitivity, precision, bias, and measurement uncertainty. Results confirmed the method's reliability for detecting very low mass fractions of silicon (mu g/kg range) originating from siloxane species, such as L2, L3, D4, and D5, in biomethane. By demonstrating both methodological robustness and practical applicability, this study provides a model example for ISO's upcoming guidance on validation of analytical methods, supporting the harmonisation of impurity testing in renewable gases.