FUEL OILS, RESIDUAL FUELS, and KEROSENE

Distilled petroleum products and blends of distilled and residual products are covered by several specifications. Fuel oils resemble diesel fuels in terms of distillate range. However, the products described in ASTM D 396 and ASTM D 3699 are primarily non-automotive grades that primarily are used for heating in burners and furnaces.

FUEL OILS AND RESIDUAL FUELS

ASTM Specification D 396 classifies fuel oils based on the types of burners for which they are suitable. The fuel oils fall into two broad classifications, distillate and residual fuels, according to their method of production. The distillates consist of overhead or distilled fractions from a refinery and generally have lower density and viscosity. The residuals, or bottoms remaining after distillation, are generally of higher density and viscosity. The specification defines nine different grades of fuel oil.

We offer three different test packages for Qualification Tests for fuel oils according to ASTM D 396. Grades 1, Grade 1 Low Sulfur, Grade 2, and Grade 2 Low Sulfur are all middle distillate range fuels for domestic and small industrial boilers.

Grade 4 Light and 4 Heavy are heavy distillate fuels or blends with residual fuels for use with commercial or industrial boilers. That are specifically equipped for this viscosity range.

Grade 5 Light, Grade 5 Heavy, and Grade 6 are residual fuels of increasing viscosity and boiling range. They require preheating for proper atomization of the fuel into the burners.

Individual burners may have specifications that are more detailed than those identified in ASTM D 396. This is often true with regard to contaminants such as water, microbial slimes, particulates, and trace metals. Texas OilTech Laboratories, Inc. is prepared to recommend specific test packages for individual boilers based on our knowledge of their fuel specifications.

FUEL OIL QUALITY CONTROL

The Basic 6 Test Package represents the traditional test for Quality Control of distillate fuel oils. The Basic 8 Test Package adds Water by Distillation and Sediment by Extraction for heavier distillates or blends of distillate with residual fuel. The Basic 10 Test Package further adds Ash analysis and, in keeping with current best practice for Fuel Oil Quality Control, also adds Trace Metal analysis by ICP/MS.

KEROSENE

Kerosene is a refined petroleum distillate product and is used in flue-connected burner appliances or in wick-fed illuminating lamps. ASTM D 3699 classifies two grades of kerosene.

No. 1-K Kerosene is a special low-sulfur grade, <0.04 wt% sulfur
No. 2-K is a regular grade kerosene, <0.30 wt% sulfur.