What You Should Know About Diesel Fuel Additives
A Fuel Supplier’s Perspective On Diesel Fuel Additives
As a major diesel fuel supplier, Mansfield Service Partners has a vested interest in diesel fuel additives. Along with diesel fuel distribution, MSP is also a commercial diesel fuel additive supplier as well as a supplier of industrial lubricants.
Diesel engines are producing more performance per liter of displacement than ever before. They are also under ever-increasing constraints to meet emissions targets. This makes diesel fuel additives a critical component in the diesel fuel supply chain. Without the proper additives, diesel fuel may lack sufficient lubricity and cause accelerated engine wear.
It is also important to fuel suppliers because they are a key component in maintaining fuel quality. Onsite diesel fuel storage tanks can become contaminated when water and microbial contaminants enter the fuel. Biocide fuel additives can resolve diesel microbial contamination, or prevent it in the first place if used from the start.
Types of Diesel Fuel Additives
There is such a wide variety of diesel fuel additives that we will not be able to list them all here, but we will cover the major categories. The ingredients and additives for diesel fuel listed below are the ones most relevant to diesel fuel distributors, fleet managers, and others who manage diesel equipment and/or maintenance diesel storage tanks.
Here are the specific details on each category of diesel fuel additive:
Cold Temperature Additives
Diesel fuel is more viscous than gasoline. As temperatures drop in winter months, this viscosity increases to the point where it slows or stops the flow of diesel fuel in tanks, pumps, and other equipment. Extreme cold (15° F or lower) can cause diesel fuel to “gel” when wax crystals form. Cold temperature additives help improve flow at lower temperatures, prevent gelling, and disperse wax crystals and water that may be contaminating diesel fuel. Low-temperature diesel fuel additives are essential for reliable fueling, especially in colder climates.
Biocidal Fuel Additives
Water is the enemy of diesel fuel. Keeping water out of fuel in vehicle and equipment tanks, especially diesel storage tanks, is vital to maintaining fuel quality. Water in diesel fuel can cause tanks to rust, and allow microbes to grow. Rust, microbial growth, and other contaminants in diesel fuel can quickly clog fuel filters and negatively affect engine performance. Biocidal additives kill and discourse microbes like bacteria, fungi, and algae from growing in your fuel. It’s easy to see how antimicrobial diesel additives are vitally important to maintaining the quality of what’s in your storage tanks in between diesel fuel deliveries.
Engine Protection Additives
Another important category of diesel fuel additives is the chemicals designed to protect diesel engines and equipment. With today’s ultra-high pressure fuel injection systems, these are more important than ever. The presence of these additives along with a good fuel quality regime can help prevent costly diesel fuel injector and fuel pump replacements. In this category it includes corrosion inhibitors, fuel injector cleaners, and lubricity additives. Modern fuel systems are more sensitive to fuel quality than they were just a few decades ago. Ensuring diesel fuel has appropriate lubricity and other qualities protects your equipment investment.
Diesel Fuel Stability Additives
Aside from the biocidal agents, there are a range of stability additives for diesel fuel and maintain quality. These include antioxidants and metal deactivators which neutralize the catalytic effects of certain metals found in diesel engines and other equipment. Keeping dissolved metals out of your diesel fuel helps avoid oxidation, gum, and sediment formation in your fuel. Other additives include dispersants and demulsifiers to counteract water. Demulsifiers which help remove water from diesel fuel are preferred to emulsifiers these days because they help separate water from fuel so it can be siphoned or filtered out.
Other Diesel Fuel Additives
As we mentioned at the top, there are more individual types of additives than we can list here, but some of the other important categories include anti-foam agents to help fuel flow faster. On the performance front, we have ignition improvers (generally nitrates) which help ensure proper volatility, and other additives which raise cetane numbers. The benefits of cetane improvers include shorter ignition delay, better cold starting with less smoke, reduced emissions (HC, CO, NOx, and PM), and even less engine noise and higher fuel economy.
Mansfield Service Partners’ Fuel Quality Program
The Mansfield Service Partners Fuel Quality Program is a preventive maintenance program to safeguard diesel fuel quality and improve both the operation of the diesel storage facility and help ensure your diesel-fueled equipment continues to operate at peak performance.
Our Fuel Quality Program can be customized to fit the needs of different facilities based on several parameters including the number of tanks, throughput volume, type of product stored, tank system design, and facility location.
Benefits of MSPs Fuel Quality Program:
- Removes fuel injector deposits
- Protects critical engine components
- Ensures low-temperature operability
- Helps keep diesel storage tanks clean
- Prevents and removes water in your diesel fuel
- Prevents and eliminates microbial contamination
What’s Important To Know About Diesel Fuel Additives
The most important thing to know about fuel additives in diesel is that they all serve important purposes. Today’s diesel engines produce more power from less fuel, but they are also more sophisticated and sensitive to fuel quality. This means having the correct additive blend in your diesel fuel is more important than it was in the past.
The days of salvaging some moldy old diesel fuel from an abandoned tank on a farm are over. Modern diesel engines and equipment give us superior performance, but they require superior fuel to do it and to remain reliable.
Diesel vehicles and machines represent a significant investment for most businesses. Protect the longevity of your investments with a high-quality diesel supply, and by staying on top of tank and equipment maintenance. You are sure to be rewarded by the benefits to your bottom line and productivity
Mansfield Service Partners: Diesel Fuel Supplier Since 1932
At Mansfield Service Partners, we have built our reputation by delivering superior diesel fuel, lubricants, and expert services to customers at competitive prices. Our business is built on keeping your business powered and in motion.
If you or your organization are looking for a diesel fuel distribution partner with a rock-solid reputation and a wealth of experience – Mansfield Service Partners is only a phone call away at (800) 683-1331 or you are welcome to email any inquiries to info@mansfield.energy
