TYPES OF ADDITIVES
Diesel Engine Performance Additives This class of additives can improve engine performance. The effects of different members of the class are seen in different time frames. Any benefit provided by a cetane number improver is immediate, whereas that provided by detergent additives or lubricity additives is typically seen over the long term, often measured in tens of thousands of miles.
Cetane Number Improvers (Diesel Ignition Improvers) Cetane number improvers can reduce combustion noise and smoke. The magnitude of the benefit varies among engine designs and operating modes, ranging from no effect to readily perceptible improvement.
2-Ethylhexyl nitrate (EHN) is the most widely used cetane number improver. It is sometimes also called octyl nitrate. EHN is thermally unstable and decomposes rapidly at the high temperatures in the combustion chamber. The products of decomposition help initiate fuel combustion and, thus, shorten the ignition delay period from that of the fuel without the additive.
The increase in cetane number from a given concentration of EHN varies from one fuel to another. It is greater for a fuel whose natural cetane number is already relatively high. The incremental increase gets smaller as more EHN is added, so there is little benefit to exceeding a certain concentration. EHN typically is used in the concentration range of 0. 05% mass to 0. 4% mass and may yield a 3 to 8 cetane number benefit.
Other alkyl nitrates, as well as ether nitrates and some nitroso compounds, also have been found to be effective cetane number improvers, but they are not currently used commercially. Di-tertiary butyl peroxide was recently introduced as a commercial cetane number improver.
A disadvantage of EHN is that it decreases the thermal stability of some fuels. The effect of the other cetane number improvers on thermal stability is unknown, but it seems likely that they will be similarly disadvantaged. Several laboratories are investigating this issue.
Injector Cleanliness Additives Fuel and/or crankcase lubricant can form deposits in the nozzle area of injectors – the area exposed to high cylinder temperatures. The extent of deposit formation varies with engine design, fuel composition, lubricant composition, and operating conditions. Excessive deposits may upset the injector spray pattern (see Figure 7-1) which, in turn, may hinder the fuel-air mixing process. In some engines, this may result in decreased fuel economy and increased emissions.
Ashless polymeric detergent additives can clean up fuel injector deposits and/or keep injectors clean (see Figure 7-2). These additives are composed of a polar group that bonds to deposits and deposit precursors, and a non-polar group that dissolves in the fuel. Thus, the additive can redissolve deposits that already have formed and reduce the opportunity for deposit precursors to form deposits. Detergent additives typically are used in the concentration range of 50 ppm to 300 ppm.
Lubricity Additives Lubricity additives are used to compensate for the poor lubricity of severely hydrotreated diesel fuels (see Chapter 2). They contain a polar group that is attracted to metal surfaces, causing the additive to form a thin surface film. The film acts as a boundary lubricant when two metal surfaces come in contact. Two additive chemistries, fatty acids and esters, are commonly used. The fatty acid type is typically used in the concentration range of 10 ppm to 50 ppm. Since esters are less polar, they require a higher concentration range of 50 ppm to 250 ppm.