Keeping diesel clean is vital, warns fluid management expert Techenomics

Water and other contaminants are the enemy of diesel fuel
To maximise productivity and prolong engine life Techenomics, Your Partner in Lubrication Reliability, stresses that it is vital to keep diesel clean.

Contamination is the enemy of diesel fuel and the total fluid management team at Techenomics says during the past 20 years it has become even more crucial to keep this in check due to the compulsory reduction of sulphur levels in diesel and the addition of biofuels.

Both of these factors increase corrosion in diesel engines and equipment.

Techenomics CEO Chris Adsett said a combination of factors related to the reduction of sulphur, the elimination of lead and use of biofuels contributed to potentially dangerous concerns with diesel, which made the company’s expert, independent services more important.

“Without sulphur and lead, fuel is left virtually unprotected from microbial infection. Both were excellent biocides with sulphur having the ability to protect fuels for years.”

Before 2004 it was not uncommon for diesel to have a shelf life of five or six years, but Adsett said recent research had shown that diesel began deteriorating even before it reached the end user.

Water is one of the primary contamination enemies of diesel. “If water is present diesel can degrade by as much as 95 per cent within just 30 days of refining,” Adsett said.

Studies have shown that fuel coming out of terminals these days has minimal biocide which leaves it vulnerable to microbial contamination and if exposed to other contaminants and/or water this can make a serious issue even worse.

Water contamination can occur during transportation and storage. It can be a problem during barging and shipping while transport by truck can also provide an opportunity for this to occur.

Tanker access ports can be left open allowing water and contaminants to enter the fuel tank and water ingress can occur when fuel is dropped off as standing water can enter the tank when a delivery is made.

The natural condensation process can also result in water ingress. Temperature variations change the humidity levels in the fuel system, creating condensation. Over time this settles and becomes measurable but while suspended in the fuel, it is virtually undetectable.

Water can also enter through leaks and weaknesses in the fuel system. When water enters diesel it eventually settles and drops out of the fuel at a rate of around 33cm per hour. In a tank with 3.3 litres of fuel, this process will require around 10 hours for water to settle.

Another issue with water comes with the use of biodiesel. Today’s regulations allow for up to 50% biodiesel ( B50 ) in Indonesia to be mixed with conventional diesel without any notification or labelling and biodiesel is much more water soluble than the diesel sold years ago.

This can create further issues as biodiesel is a microbial food source and most microbes that affect fuel require a water interface to multiply.

The combination of food sources and interface makes diesel quality difficult to maintain while the corrosion problems associated with microbial growth are serious.

Research confirms that ethanol contamination in diesel is the primary cause of corrosion in fuel systems and engines.

“These issues,” Adsett explained, “mean it is vital for those who use diesel fuel to have their fuel and lubricants checked regularly by experts in fluid management, such as Techenomics, to reduce or even eliminate these issues.”

For more information about Techenomics International contact Chris Adsett, c.adsett@techenomics.com; in Indonesia Freddy, freddy@techenomics.com; in South East Asia Siti, siti@techenomics.com, in Mongolia Tumee, tumee@techenomics.com, in Australia Dr Gopal Kumar, gopal.kumar@techenomics.com or for Liquid Tungsten globally Chris Adsett, c.adsett@techenomics.com.

Diesel fuel and lubricants analysis – Click here to download this release as a pdf file