A D DI T I V E S & TR E ATMEN T S The lower the sulfur content in fuel oil, the better it is for the
operation of a boiler or furnace, he said. “I just think we should embrace it and welcome it.” But reduced sulfur fuel oil still poses the challenge of sludge,
Tatnall said, which plugs and fouls equipment and causes corro- sion. He said that his company’s sludge-fighting product, Fuel Right, should be used the same way with reduced-sulfur fuel oil as is prescribed now for conventional fuel oil. Sludge primarily results from contamination, Tatnall said.
That is, as fuel oil is moved from place to place, and stored, water collects in tanks and biological contamination occurs, leading to development of sludge. “It’s a biological byproduct, primarily,” Tatnall said. “Therefore
when you go to a real stable product like ultra-low sulfur diesel the problem of sludge doesn’t go away. No matter how good the fuel is it still gets contaminated and still grows sludge.” Fuel Management Services (FMS), an additive manufacturer
with offices in Toms River, N.J., and Kitty Hawk, N.C., has pub- lished literature that states, “We have a solvency issue with [15 ppm] ULSD following LSD into the tank. We need to make sure tanks are clean or ULSD will clean them out for us.” ULSD is treated with lubricity additives to achieve a mini- mum level of lubricity per ASTM D975, the supplier said. Some
of the additives are oil derivatives of a certain type of tree. These products in the presence of water can form insoluble salts or soaps that can foul filters, usually combining with other insoluble gums, FMS said. The additive maker recommended checking with operators of
fuel terminals to find out what type of lubricity improver they are using – synthetic or organic. “This is a case where the synthetic should be the product of choice,” the company said. Fuel oil deal- ers seeking to enhance the lubricity of ULSD can use aftermarket improvers, such as Fuel Management Services, to do the job, the company said. Ultra-low sulfur fuel is turning out to be somewhat less stable
than low-sulfur fuel, FMS said. The less stable a fuel is, the more likely it is to produce insoluble particulate, the additive supplier said. The longer fuel is stored the more stability is desired; and stability can be improved with proper additization. With respect to biofuel, use of treatments and additives will
change as the amount blended into fuel oil increases, some said. Burke suggested that the industry could lobby for biodiesel manu-
facturers to include a biocide in their product. “It’s come a long way,” Burke said. “It’s better than heating oil, but there is a variance.” Biofuel does promote or accelerate the growth of sludge, Fairville Products’ Tatnall said. “Anything that works in straight
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