Flash Point

The flash point of a fuel indicates the lowest temperature at which the vapour above a liquid in closed surroundings can be ignited by means of a spark.

Adequate and accessible information concerning the flash points of all the flammable liquids that are carried on board will greatly contribute to safety aboard vessels.

Pour Point

The pour point of a fuel indicates the lowest temperature at which a fuel can still be handled. It is important in the process of transferring fuel from shore-based tanks or fuel-boat into the bunkers aboard the ship.

Sulphur

Residual oils will always contain a certain amount of sulphur. The use of high-sulphur-fuels in Diesel engines will cause severe corrosion.

Ash

Ash in a fuel refers to the amount of non-organic non-combustible materials present in a fuel, such as vanadium, sodium, calcium, zinc, lead, iron, nickel, etc.

Distillate fuels (Marine Diesel Oils) should have negligible amounts of ash-forming components. Residual fuels, however, contain higher amounts of ash-forming components.

Cloud Point

The cloud point of a fuel is defined as the temperature at which a clear transparent fuel will become hazy or cloudy due to the formation of wax crystals.

Wax crystals, causing engine failure, will be formed in a fuel with a high cloud point when the engine is a low ambient temperature.

Carbon-Residue

The carbon-residue indication is used to assess the amount of carbon deposit a fuel will cause in a nozzle, on piston rings, pistons, exhaust valves and exhaust gas turbines.

Sediment

Matters such as grit, sand and clay are non-organic substances that occur in a fuel. These sediments can be removed from the fuel by settlement, centrifugation and filtration, depending on particle size and density.

Solubility

The ability of a fuel to mix with another fuel, which may result in a fuel of higher quality, is indicated by the solubility-factor.

Cetane-Number

The cetane-number indicates the ease with which a mixture of fuel and air will ignite. The ignition quality of a fuel will depend upon the fuel/air ratio, the temperature and pressure of the mixture, the density of the fuel and the ambient temperature.

Stability

A fuel can be called stable when, even after a long period of storage, no heavy components (sediments) will be separated and settle on the bottom of the tank.

Specific Energy

The specific energy indicates the calorific value of one kilogram of fuel – in other words: it indicates the quantity of heat produced by the complete combustion of one kg of fuel.

Samples of Documents

Table 1

International standard iso 8217 Petroleum Products – Fuels (Class f) – Specifications of marine fuels

Requirements for marine distillate fuels

		Designation ISO – F –
Characteristics	Test method		Limit	DMX	DMA	DMB	DMC
Density at 15°C, kg/m3	ISO 3675		max	–	890	900	920
Kinematic viscosity at 40°C, cSt	ISO 3104		min	1.40	1.50	–	–
			max	5.50	6.00	11.0	14.0
Flash point, °C	ISO 2719		min	43	60	60	60
Pour point Winter quality	ISO 3016		max	–	6	0	0
(upper) °C Summer quality			max	–	0	6	6
Cloud point, °C	ISO 3015		max	16	–	–	–
Carbon residue, Ramsbottom%
(m/m) on 10% residue	ISO 4262		max	0.20	0.20	–	–
Carbon residue, Conradson% (m/m)	ISO 4262		max	–	–	0.25	2.50
Carbon residue, Conradson% (m/m)	ISO 6615		max	0.14	0.14	0.28	3.0
Ash, % (m/m)	ISO 6245		max	0.01	0.01	0.01	0.05
Sediment by extraction, % (m/m)	ISO 3735		max	–	–	0.07	–
Water, % (V/V)	ISO 3733		max	–	–	0.3	0.3
Cetane number	ISO 5165		min	45	40	35	–
Visual inspection				Clear	Clear	–	–
Sulpher, % (m/m)			max	1.0	1.5	2.0	2.0
Vanadium, mg/kg			max	–	–	–	100