does anyone know if its safe to mix kerosine with diesel ?if it is whats a good percentage to mix diesel to kerosine ?

There are too many variables with the kerosenes for the average person to mix it with diesel. Your typical kerosene has a Flash Point around 120*F. I have seen it as high as 136*F, and as low as 98*F. what all this means is if you happen to get some of the lower flash kerosene, Your engine will run extremely hot. Typical diesel fuel has a flashpoint around 155*F. It, by law, can vary from 130*F (winter) to 200*F (summer). The only way to safely cut your diesel would be to mix small test batches, say 80ml (80%) diesel and 20ml (20%) kerosene (or any combination totaling 100ml (100%)), and then flash test it, keeping said flash at 145*F-155*F. Kerosene has even more sulfur content than road diesel, so I don't think lubricity would be a problem. I only know the basics of this and would seek someone more knowledgeable in the breakdown/needs of diesel fuel.

Mixing kerosene and diesel is an option in the winter to keep the diesel from gelling, and a lot of peole do it, about 25% kero to 75% diesel, it's even talked about in the owners manual.
But in the summer it's not needed espically since kero costs more than diesel.

where i live diesel is now 2.48 and kero is around 2.00 i live in pa , i heard diesel is alot cheaper in ohio last week ,i heard it was 2.06 . im thinking about getting a 500 gallon transfer tank . the cheapest tank is a plastic water tank around 300. id probably get a big fine if i got caught hauling diesel in that . u have any suggestions ? to get around high cost at the pump?

I've mixed 25% kero in my diesel in my '99 6.5TD Tahoe when I was in Illinois and the temps got to -25 degrees. Kero was more expensive than diesel then. And kero has lower btus and you get poorer performance. I'm thinking that you'll lose power and mpg about equal to the few cents you save on mixing in kero.

Kerosene has even more sulfur content than road diesel, so I don't think lubricity would be a problem.
Whoa, we've got a problem then Houston. I've always been under the impression that kerosene (#1 diesel) has less lubricity, which is why it can be used in much colder weather without gelling. I thought the reason its pour point was significantly lowered over straight #2 is due to less lubricant to gel.

If I remember correctly, you mentioned you work at a refinery and deal with this kind of stuff daily. Is that correct?

I'm not trying to question your knowledge, I'm just confused.:help2:

I too was of the impression that kerosene has less sulfur as well. That's why you can burn it in your house. Lubricity with with too much kerosene in your diesel would definitely be a problem. Please correct me if I am wrong.

DEWFPO

Kerosene: BP range ~400F - 570F

#2 Diesel: ~400 - 650F

#1 Diesel ~400 - 550F

As you can see, kero and #2 have overlapping boiling points. So, all #2 technically contains kerosene. It's a question of how much. #1 diesel is the same as #2, but with the heavy tail end cut off.

Unfortunately, with diesel, the good stuff is in the heavy end. Big (heavy, high boiling) molecules have higher cetane, higher density (higher energy density), and better lubricity. The problem is that they're the ones that form waxes and gels at cold temperatures. Cold weather anti-gel is the only advantage of kero...all the rest of its properties are negative.

Jet fuel (jet-A) is mostly kero that meets several special additional specs...so generally kero can be treated and sold for more value as jet-A.

But not all kero is jet-A. When you buy a kerosene, you don't know its cetane, or flashpoint. It may or may not be desulfurized depending on how the refinery is configured.

Jet-A does not make good diesel fuel. It has very low lubricity. Even if kero is not desulfurized, the light sulfurs are not the ones that lubricate. The heavy alkylated di-benzothiophenes are the good lubricants...and they're way out there.

As far as diesel fuel, is concerned, do not run a kero/#2 blend unless you need cold weather properties and the kero is cheaper than #1 diesel.

Any particular kerosene may or may not have more sulfur than #2 diesel. US federal #2 has a 500 ppm cap for sulfur. California is lower. A kerosene sourced from a high sulfur crude can easily have more than 500 ppm S. From a clean crude it can be less. I've seen kero sulfur as high as 4000 ppm.

Lamp-fuel kerosene is usualy desulfurized or sourced from sweet crude runs.

If you have a gallon or 2 to get rid of, yeah sure, you can mix it in your 26 gallon tank and run it, but I'd keep it to maybe 1 gallon at a time...and make sure it's clean (no trash or water).

I thought sulfur was added to reduce emissions in a diesel engine and had little if anything to with lubricating properties.

Kerosene has even more sulfur content than road diesel, so I don't think lubricity would be a problem. I only know the basics of this and would seek someone more knowledgeable in the breakdown/needs of diesel fuel.

I thought sulfur was added to reduce emissions in a diesel engine and had little if anything to with lubricating properties.
Nope, got it backwards, Ben. Diesel used to contain more sulphur, which provided more lubrication properties than the new low sulphur pollution requirements in current diesel. Less pollution with less lubrication as a result of sulphur removal.

where i live diesel is now 2.48 and kero is around 2.00 i live in pa , i heard diesel is alot cheaper in ohio last week ,i heard it was 2.06 . im thinking about getting a 500 gallon transfer tank . the cheapest tank is a plastic water tank around 300. id probably get a big fine if i got caught hauling diesel in that . u have any suggestions ? to get around high cost at the pump?
Us Canadians are getting raped at the pumps. Doing the conversion to gallons $3.95 :eek:

I knew that lead in gasoline provided lubricating properties and was removed to improve emissions, but a truck driver told me that sulfur is added to improve emissions. I don't know.

Nope, got it backwards, Ben. Diesel used to contain more sulphur, which provided more lubrication properties than the new low sulphur pollution requirements in current diesel. Less pollution with less lubrication as a result of sulphur removal.

I knew that lead in gasoline provided lubricating properties and was removed to improve emissions, but a truck driver told me that sulfur is added to improve emissions. I don't know.Nope he was wrong. I'm running straight Jet A+ myself right now with a double dose of additive for lubrication. So far there hasen't been any operating differences that I can find, loss of power less mileage etc. Who knows long term?

Sulphur compounds are naturally in crude oil, and in the refining process, most of the effort is to remove them.

Sulphur in the combustion process makes sulphur dioxide, which, with water (and water is a combustion by product) makes sulphuric acid.

I have never heard of a refiner intentionally adding sulphur to a fuel.

By the way, diesel sulphur limits are going to drop again in 2006. The impact on prices should not be pretty.

I have been running Jet-A with #2 mix for the last two weeks in my 6.5. I add about 2 oz of 2 stroke oil to the tank and have noticed no changes in EGT, MPG or performance. I DO filter it like crazy when I pump it out of the drums and I am seriously looking at an aftermarket 2 micron filter.

Back in "84"Pontiac a made Diesel Grand Prix. I was Stupid enough to buy one. It was in the shop most of the time. It was pure garbage. Fortunately got fixed on GM"s dime. I remember they recommended putting 2 gallons of unleaded gas in tank with fill up during the winter. I guess that no longer applies as far as the dmax is concerned. Just a story from the old days.:D