<!--StartFragment -->

ipelines to Ban Diesel Containing Lubricating Additives
<!-- icx_story_begin-->

From Transport Topics...

http://www.ttnews.com/images/printeditiontag_new.gifThe largest U.S. pipeline operator, Colonial Pipeline, said it plans to ban diesel fuel with lubricity additives from its system, which would require the oil industry to spend millions of dollars to equip their terminals to add the chemicals. Others are likely to follow.

The issue is critical because sulfur, which adds essential lubricating qualities to diesel, would be sharply reduced after mid-2006 because of federal environmental laws. And new engines to be introduced for 2007 would require the reduced-sulfur fuel.

“We can’t do it,” said Steve Baker, a spokesman for Colonial Pipeline. “We did some test batches and the lubri-city additive contaminated other products moving on the pipeline.”

<!--StartFragment --> ...The issue is critical because sulfur, which adds essential lubricating qualities to diesel...It's my understanding that sulfur is not a lubricant but rather it's the process of removing sulfur from diesel fuel that reduces lubricity... :)

It's my understanding that sulfur is not a lubricant but rather it's the process of removing sulfur from diesel fuel that reduces lubricity... :)

The Chevron info site supports this....
From:
http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/diesel/L2_7_1_fs.htm
Lubricity Additives Lubricity additives are used to compensate for the poor lubricity of severely hydrotreated diesel fuels (see Chapter 2). They contain a polar group that is attracted to metal surfaces, causing the additive to form a thin surface film. The film acts as a boundary lubricant when two metal surfaces come in contact. Two additive chemistries, fatty acids and esters, are commonly used. The fatty acid type is typically used in the concentration range of 10 ppm to 50 ppm. Since esters are less polar, they require a higher concentration range of 50 ppm to 250 ppm.

BTW - the Chevron product info site is a great site for technical information on diesel and other fuels.
http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/diesel_fuels.shtml

Found this presentation from american petroleum institute via google - looks like addition of proper amount of lubricity additives by refiners will be delayed til at least mid-2006; Time to stock up on stanadyne lubricity additive or your injectors will not live long... And with a little #1 blended in for cold weather - it only gets worse this time of year...

http://api-ep.api.org/filelibrary/Mannato.pdf

- jeff