Making premium diesel fuel

For refiners, extra processing and blending is a practical, though not always easy, option for improving diesel fuel properties; however, it entails compromises. For example, ignition quality can be improved by including more paraffins, but this negatively impacts the required low-temperature operability properties. Another example is adding aromatics to increase the diesel`s Btu value, but aromatics burn poorly and tend to cause smoking. Due to these and other types of diametrical trade-offs, the scope of distillate processing and fuels blending at the refinery is often very limited. Therefore, fuel additives are rapidly becoming the only alternative for obtaining the superior quality necessary in a premium diesel fuel. If stabilizers, dispersants and other fuel additive components are used in the additive package, the product can be marketed as a premium diesel fuel additive. Engines using this additive-treated fuel will consistently have less emissions, produce optimum power from the fuel energy conversion process and perform to design specifications. And the user will truly have a premium diesel fuel. The paper discusses detergent additives, cetane or ignition improvers, fuel stabilizers, cold weather additives, and lubricity additives.