Have you ever had water in your bulk tank?
Ever worried about growth?
Opti-Lube Preserve is what you need for piece of mind. Designed specifically for bulk storage Preserve will help delay the degradation of your diesel.
Preserve is an antioxidant, metal deactivator and color stabilizer. The active chemistry helps to neutralize acid build-up and delay the onset of metal reactions (yellow and ferrous) that can catalyze the fuel to degrade and form polymerized material (sludge, asphaltenes). Preserve also contains a water separator (demulsifier) and strong cleaning chemicals that help to inhibit growth. Though the diesel fuel will eventually still degrade, Preserve helps to delay that. Preserve should be added to new fuel, it will not fix fuel that has already begun to fail. Preserve is compatible with on and off road diesel, bio-diesel and bio-diesel blends.
When storing diesel fuel, most everyone is familiar with the adverse effects of water or growth in their bulk tank, but are there other factors or elements that cause diesel fuel to degrade? The simple answer is YES. The storage life of any fuel is dependent on the storage conditions. Untreated diesel fuel can be expected to stay in a usable condition for approximately 12 months when stored at an ambient temperature of 68°F and 6-8 months when stored at temperatures exceeding 85°F. Why? As diesel fuel gets older a fine sediment and gum forms in the diesel brought about by the reaction of diesel components with oxygen from the air. Oxidation eventually leads to fuel darkening and stratifying (layers in the fuel, separation). This sediment and gum will block fuel filters and burn inefficiently in the engine often leading to carbon and soot deposits on injectors and other combustion surfaces.
The aging process can be accelerated by the following conditions:
- Zinc, copper or metal alloys containing them (such as brass) react with diesel fuel to form unstable compounds. This can be counteracted by a metal deactivator which neutralizes the catalytic affect of diesel fuel coming in contact with the metals or metal alloys.
- Also consider oxidation: Oxidation is when small amounts of air attack reactive compounds in the fuel, causing it to destabilize and corrode.
- Corrosion happens due to water and oxidation. The most common form is rust. Eventually rust can cause holes in tank walls but the more immediate danger is contamination in your fuel. These particles can plug filters and increase fuel pump and injector wear in your engine.
- Water in the tank allows the growth of fungus and bacteria, which can cause natural by-products such as organic acids that destabilize the fuel. The main cause of water in fuel tanks is condensation. A simple way to counteract condensation is to keep your tank full when storing for extended periods of time as well as having a defined low point on your tank where water will collect and can be drained (this process can be aided by a water separator, demulsifier.)
- Exposure to high temperatures will accelerate growth in the tank. With these factors in mind Opti-Lube created Preserve to help you reach the maximum storage potential of your bulk tank fuel. Though diesel fuel will eventually degrade anyway, Preserve helps to delay that.
A diesel stabilizer should be added to new diesel as no stabilizer can fix fuel that is already failing.
When these issues are addressed you can more than double the storage life of your diesel. Take the first step towards preventing these common problems from becoming your problem, add Opti-Lube Preserve to your bulk tank today!
