Effect of Adding Acetic Acid on Performance and Environmental Properties of Engine Diesel Fuel.

Abstract

This paper addressed processing of the local Petroleum diesel fuel (PD) using glacial acetic acid (GAA). The process resulted good changes in the performance and environmental properties of the diesel fuel against its properties before the processing. The performance properties like flash point, cetane index, cetane number, and pour point, also the environmental properties like aniline point (indication of aromatics content) and total sulfur ratio were changed positively. Two layers were separated, in 10vol% GAA up to 5vol%GAA and the bottom layer decreased with decreasing of added glacial acetic acid. For 2vol%GAA, no bottom separated layer was observed. 2vol% GAA and high centrifugation speed (2000 rpm.) with room temperature and pressure operation condition ,also with decreasing the pour point , total sulfur percent , aromatics content ,and flash point , with somewhat a short production cycle (about 24 hours) is enough to increase the cetane number more than 15 degrees , with keeping the acidity without change , All of that decided the 2vol% GAA is the optimum point , although in this point the cloud point is effected negatively but it is under control and can be solved easily by chemical additives.