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Fuel Storage Problems and Solutions
Crude Oil To Fuel
Declining crude quality, more severe refining processes and government
regulations have resulted in our fuels being less stable. Most people think of gasoline or diesel
as being a pure substance and not a complex mixture. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Both
gasoline and diesel are mixtures of thousands of different kinds of hydrocarbons that are extracted
from crude oil.
Refining used to be a simple process of heating crude oil and condensing the vapors at various points
in the refining column. The "lighter ends" such as gasoline rise nearly to the top before
condensing while kerosene, diesel and fuel oils condense further down. The residue left after
the kerosene, diesel and fuel oil are removed is generally used as heavy fuel oil or asphalt that
sells for much less than fuel. Therefore the refiner tries to maximize the amount of fuel produced.
Newer refining methods (such as the "cat-cracker") can literally tear apart the larger molecules
from the residue and form lighter products that can be used as fuels, thus greatly increasing the
refiner's profits.
Refineries Use Additives For Their Own Benefit
While these newer refining methods sound like a great idea, they have
a few drawbacks. While the fuel made from cracked stock burns well, the molecules are not as stable
and tend to form gums and varnishes and oxidize more quickly during storage. To combat this,
refiners use various additives to prevent rapid deterioration. This costs money and therefore
the refiners usually err on the side of putting in too little rather than too much. Remember,
the refiners want to keep their refinery, pipelines, storage tanks and underground service
station tanks in good condition. But after the fuel leaves their equipment, it is no longer
of great concern. Major refiners today may only use additives that are sufficient to provide
protection for three months or less. It may take a month or more to get fuel through their
distribution system, so the consumer usually has less than two months until most of the
protection provided by the refiner is gone.
Why Fuel Breaks Down
There are many factors that influence how long a fuel can
last before beginning to break down. Oxygen is the major cause of degradation. All fuels
absorb a good deal of oxygen during refining and storage. Aeration or sloshing of the fuel
helps promote the entry of even more oxygen. Because the cracked fuel components are less
stable, they can quickly combine with oxygen and form different and potentially harmful
compounds such as acid, gum or varnish. This process is greatly accelerated by the
presence of metals that promote oxidation such as copper, brass, lead, cadmium and some
stainless steels.
Storage temperature is also important, as fuels break down faster under heat. Even without
oxygen, fuels tend to break down because they also contain amounts of sulfur, nitrogen,
and other elements that also form acids, sludge and gum. The unstable fuel components
can also react with each other to form other compounds that drop out as sludge. Nearly
everyone has seen first hand evidence of these problems when changing clogged fuel
filters, cleaning carburetors or fuel lines. Others have had fuel tanks rust or corrode
and begin to leak. If you ignore your fuel during storage, be prepared to pay the price.
Fuel System Storage Protection
Fortunately, there is an easy way to avoid these problems, through the use of additives such as Protect All Fuel Storage Stabilizer. This product contains a battery of chemicals designed to protect the fuel system, either gas or diesel. It contains metal deactivators to help prevent metals from catalyzing oxidation, rust inhibitors and acid neutralizers to help protect the tank and lines, dispersants that help prevent the formation of sludge and varnish that would drop out to form deposits, antioxidants that shield unstable fuel components from oxygen, a detergent that helps keep fuel injectors clean and finally, a unique additive that increases water tolerance.
Treat your gas or diesel with Protect All Fuel Storage Stabilizer every time you park your vehicle for more than 30 days. One treatment lasts up to 12 months of continuous storage.
Pre-Storage Preparation:
Pour Stabilizer into your fuel tank and fill with fuel.
Vehicles Already In Storage:
Pour Stabilizer into full tank of fuel and run engine for at least five minutes. |
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