SFA International

Specialty Fuel Additives for Hydrocarbon Fuels

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Lubricity Improvers

The elimination of lead as an octane enhancer in gasoline has led refiners to produce more lower molecular weight, higher vapor pressure product known as Naptha or ASTM No. 1 fuel. A portion of the naptha stream is low octane and cannot be used in modern spark-ignited gasoline fuel engines. This low octane naptha is usually combined with ASTM No. 2 fuels (Distillate Oils, Kerosene, etc.) to ASTM No. 6 fuel (Residual Fuel, HFO, etc).

Naptha dissolves naturally occurring lubricating oils that are present in No. 2 fuels. These high molecular weight oils lubricate metal parts in the fuel system of Diesel engines and other engines with close tolerance moving metal components. When these oils are removed, metal on metal abrasion results causing wear on moving parts such as pumps and valves.

Lubricity Improvers add lubricity to the fuel replacing the oils that are dissolved by the naptha in the fuel. The result is restoration of the natural lubricity found in the original fuel fraction before naptha was added. SFA's FuelSpec® 195 is a high quality lubricity agent that effectively restores lubrication to mixed fuels containing naptha.

Lubricity agents are evaluated by ASTM Test D6079 known as the HFRR or High Frequency Reciprocating Rig. Test results for FuelSpec® 195 are given in the following table:

FuelSpec® 195

High Frequency Reciprocating Rig (HFRR), ASTM D 6079

Fuel Isoctane Low S Diesel Low S Diesel  
Additive     FuelSpec® 195 FuelSpec® 195
Dosage, ppm     5,000 1,000,000
Major Scar, μm 1,100 590 240 230
Minor Scar, μm 950 550 200 190
Average, μm 1,025 570 220 210

Typical Physical Properties of FuelSpec® 195

Appearance and odor Clear straw to amber colored liquid, Oily odor.
Solubility in Water Insoluble
Specific Gravity 0.85

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