Saturate, Aromatic, Resin and Asphaltene (SARA) is an analysis method that divides crude oil components according to their polarizability and polarity.
The remaining two fractions, resins and asphaltenes, have polar substituents.
That technology is known as the Iatroscan TLC-FID, and it combines thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with flame ionization detection (FID).
It is therefore always important to know the analysis method when comparing SARA numbers.
[3] In comparison, IP-143 method can take up to 3 days, and it does not offer any analytical precision.