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Diesel fuel quality varies by location depending on the nature of the crude oil and refining practices used to make it. AMSOIL diesel fuel additives are designed to address variations in diesel fuel quality.
Diesel Fuel Defined
Diesel fuel is any liquid fuel used in a diesel engine. The most common type is a specific fraction distillate of petroleum fuel oil often called petro diesel to distinguish it from non-petroleum alternatives, including biodiesel, biomass-to-liquid (BTL) or gas-to-liquid (GTL) diesel.
Diesel fuel is heavier and oilier than other types of fuel. It has a complex chemical structure with many different compounds. Compared to gasoline, diesel evaporates more slowly and features higher energy density (approximately 147,000 BTUs/gal. vs. approximately 125,000 BTUs/gal. for gasoline). Increased fuel efficiency is one benefit many diesels owners cite when opting for a diesel vehicle.
Ultra-Low-Sulphur Diesel Fuel (ULSD)
Hydro-treating, a refining process that removes sulphur, produces ULSD, which became widely available in the U.S. in 2006.
ULSD is diesel fuel with no more than 15 ppm sulphur. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements dictated that ULSD comprise 80% of the highway diesel fuel in the U.S. The percentage increased to 100% in 2010.
These fuel requirements, coupled with advanced emission-control technologies, decrease emissions from newer engines by more than 90% and help decrease emissions from older diesel engines, too.
Increased Pump And Injector Wear
To guard against catastrophic wear, diesel fuel must have a minimum level of lubricity. Diesel lubricity is largely provided by trace levels of naturally occurring polar compounds that form a protective layer on metal surfaces. As such, the lubrication properties of fuel have become a key parameter of diesel fuel specifications, particularly in ULSD.
What Is Biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a biodegradable, renewable source of energy that continues to command interest. Biodiesel fuels are made from agricultural or animal products, such as corn, coconut, chicken or fish.
Agricultural oils have high concentrations of fatty acid methyl esters, which provide better performance than animal-based oils. Due to the ester content of the fuel, using low levels of biodiesel can increase the life of fuel injection equipment that relies on the fuel for lubrication.
Biodiesel is commonly blended with diesel for the retail marketplace. Biodiesel can be used in pure form (100% biodiesel is referred to as B100) or may be blended with diesel at any concentration to be used in most diesel engines. Common blends include B2, B5 and B20. Tests have shown that the addition of a small amount of biodiesel can significantly increase the lubricity of fuel. However, biodiesel can negatively affect gaskets, seals and hoses due to the different solvent properties of the fuel.
How Quality Is Measured
The principle measure of diesel fuel quality is its cetane number, a measure of the fuel’s ignition quality.
Cetane number influences combustion. Requirements depend on engine design, size, nature of speed and load variations and starting and atmospheric conditions. A higher cetane number indicates that the fuel ignites more readily and burns more completely when sprayed into hot compressed air.
As the testing reveals, AMSOIL Diesel All-In-One provides significant lubricity improvement in diesel fuels found across the U.S., delivering improved wear protection.¹
AMSOIL Diesel Fuel Additives Help Make Up For Low Diesel Fuel Quality
AMSOIL diesel fuel additives compensate for variations in diesel fuel quality.
AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean adds lubricity to ULSD, maximizing pump and injector life while increasing horsepower and fuel economy.
AMSOIL Diesel Cetane Boost raises the cetane of fuel up to eight numbers for maximum power and performance.
AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean + Cetane Boost combines the benefits of AMSOIL Diesel Cetane Boost and AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean in one convenient package.
AMSOIL Diesel All-In-One combines the benefits of AMSOIL Diesel Cetane Boost, AMSOIL Diesel Cold Flow and AMSOIL Diesel Injector Clean in one convenient package.