When temperatures drop considerably, problems may occur in instances where fuels have been transported to or from colder climates and/or mixed with cold fuel.
The low-temperature performance of fuels can be specified by three key properties:
Cloud Point: The temperature at which wax crystals are first visible.
Pour Point: The lowest temperature at which fuel will flow.
Cold Filter Plugging Point (CFPP): An indication of vehicle low temperature operability.
SBZ offers several Cold Flow Improvers, which are segmented into:
Distillate Cold Flow Improvers
Also known as middle distillate flow improvers (MDFI) are applied in either diesel fuels or gas oil used in domestic heating fuel.
Heavy Flow Improvers
Aligned with residual and distillate-based marine fuels and, more recently, heavy opportunity crudes. As the temperature of these fuels is lowered, the n-paraffins start to crystallize and precipitate out of the solution as wax crystals. Pour point depressants (PPD) or wax modifier additives (WASA) are typically applied to resolve.
Other Key Benefits:
- Improve the low temperature performance of fuels helping to ensure the continued operation of equipment when temperature drops.
- Effectively reducing gelation.
- Improves fuel viscosity and pumpability.
- Improves storage stability.
- Better fuel handling capabilities.
