One of the important stages in the preparation of fuel for the smooth progress of combustion is to remove humidity from it. Natural resin, a natural product from <i>Pinus nigra</i> was used in order to remove water residues from petroleum fuels. The mass of resin was mixed with diesel fuel, JP-8, and mix diesel-biodiesel and main physicochemical properties measured and compared with those of the raw fuels were measured. The humidity eliminated 38% of diesel, 21% of jet fuel, and 30% of mix diesel-biodiesel (80% - 20%) and improved the physicochemical properties. The resin can be replaced and re-generated as often needed.
The growth technology of removing humidity from liquid petroleum distillates with very high commercial value but also other fuels (biofuels), such as diesel, kerosene (Jet Fuels) and also mixtures biodiesel/diesel is the object of this work. The humidity is one of the important points for incomplete combustion but also for the general erosion of motors, piping and storage tanks. There are a few techniques methods, which are used in order to eliminate humidity [
Recently published research papers are on the effects of halepensis pine resin to remove humidity [
Pine oleoresin (natural resin) is a secondary product of pine trees and generally all conifers. Resin as a natural forestry renewable resource is considered a product of significant economic value worldwide, since it is the raw material for the production of numerous secondary chemical, high added-value products. It is contained within the resin canals of trees and usually is harvested by tapping [
The possibility to use natural resin as a natural material to improve the fuel’s quality is based on its capacity to adsorb water molecules on its surface. An initial study of this phenomenon was performed by using natural resin from pinus halepensis trees and showed that the use of resin can reduce the moisture in petroleum distillates and improve other physicochemical properties [
European black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) is one of the most valuable and widespread conifer species in the Mediterranean region and is distributed in a discontinuous area which includes Southern Europe, Minor Asia, Cyprus and North-Western Africa [
A few studies reported the chemical composition of resins of Pinus nigra [
In this study natural resin, from Pinus nigra, one of the most widely distributed pines species in the Mediterranean region, was used as a renewable, removable, additive in order to improve the physicochemical properties of fuels. The effect of the resin blending with commercial fuels on physicochemical properties, of the diesel fuel, jet fuel, and mix diesel-biodiesel is also presented.
The present study extends the previous work with P. halepensis [
Diesel fuel, JP-8 and Biodiesel are mixtures of different hydrocarbons, organic compounds and must satisfy a wide range of various engine types, in different operating conditions and duty cycles [
Water is mainly responsible for corrosion in engines, storage and transport reservoirs [
Finally the natural resin, from Pinus nigra, is one of the most widely distributed pines pieces in Greece and Mediterranean region, which could be used as a recyclable, removable, additive in order to eliminate humidity and improve the physicochemical properties of commercial fuels.
The effect of the resin from Pinus nigra on humidity, blending with commercial fuels (diesel fuel, jet fuel, and mix diesel-biodiesel), is presented. In this methodology the resin can be used, directly, as water adsorbed material and improve the fuels physicochemical properties and financial cost.
Natural resin was collected during summer period from natural forest of P. nigra of North-West Greece (Public forest Katafigiou―Agias Kiriakis Kozani―Greece) (
Natural resin (concentration of 0.5% w/v) was mixed with the tested fuels (diesel, JP-8 and mix diesel-biodiesel) for 2 h and then removed mechanically. The main physicochemical properties (density, kinematic viscosity, conductivity, humidity, flash point, heat of combustion) were measured, according to the ASTM standard methods [
The physicochemical properties of conventional diesel fuel, distilled biodiesel and JP8 fuels and its methods of determination are presented below
DIESEL | JET FUEL | BIODIESEL | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
diesel | Limits | JP8 | Limits | biodiesel | Limits biodiesel | Method | |
Density 15˚C g/mL | 0.827 | 0.820 - 0.845 | 0.800 | 0.775 - 0.840 | 0.863 | 0.860 - 0.900 | ASTM D1298 |
API Gravity 60˚F | 39.6 | 35.9 - 41.0 | 45.3 | 37.0 - 51.0 | - | - | ASTM D4052 |
Kinematic Viscosity 40˚C mm2/s | 2.940 | 2.00 - 4.50 | - | - | 3.97 | 3.50 - 5.00 | ASTM D445 |
Flash Point ˚C | 60 | >55 | 50 | > 38 | 114 | >101 | ASTM D93 |
Conductivity pS/m | 465 | < 1000 | 15 | < 1 | 470 | - | ASTM D2624 |
Water content mg/kg | 72 | <200 | 48.5 | <50 | 320 | <500 | ASTM D1744 |
Heat of Combustion J/g | 44,200 | >42,600 | 46,167 | >42,800 | 39,935 | >35,000 | ASTM D4809 |
According with the
The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements were performed using a temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry (BÄHR-Thermoanalyse GmbH, DSC 302). The Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) spectrums were obtained in a TGA/DTA Thermogravimetric/Differential Thermal Analyzer (TA Instruments, Model Q500) using inert environment (Ar, 10 ml/min), platinum crucibles, a heating rate of 2˚C/min and a sample mass of ~60 mg.
Choosing the concentration of 0.5% (w/v) of the resin in the fuel ( 5 g resin in1000 ml fuel sample) anassiduous study of the standard physicochemical properties of the fuels was evaluated. All the measurement properties, the density at 15˚C, the kinematic viscosity at 40˚C, the conductivity, the humidity, the flash point, the heat of combustion, at three different rates of recovery, were evaluated using the ASTM methods. Values of physicochemical properties of conventional diesel fuel, and JP8, mix diesel-biodiesel (80 - 20)% fuels before and after the treatment pinus nigra and its methods of determination are presented below,
These experiments were performed three times and the values in
The benefits, which occurred thanks to the improvement of the properties, give to the sample a series of advantages both for economical and environmental impact. Especially the reduction of the humidity, of the low conductivity and the flash point, may not only affect several functions (reduce icing effect, avert corrosion during storage), but also could make safer the fuel handling and storage because the flash point is the lowest fuel temperature at which the vapour above the fuel sample level (in the liquid phase) will momentarily ignite under the prescribed test conditions. Furthermore this lower conductivity could improve the dissipation of the static charge. Properties such as conductivity, humidity, flash point and heat of combustion had a better level in the case of the treatment fuel samples.
Diesel | Diesel + Pinus nigra | Limits | JP8 | JP8 + Pinus nigra | Limits | Mix diesel-biodiesel (80 - 20)% | Mix diesel-biodiesel (80-20)% + Pinus nigra | Limits | Method | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Density 15˚C g/mL | 0.819 | 0.817 | 0.820 - 0.845 | 0.800 | 0.797 | 0.775 - 0.840 | 0.823 | 0.822 | 0.820 - 0.845 | ASTM D1298 |
Water content mg/kg | 72 | 45.1 | <200 | 48.5 | 38.6 | <50 | 182 | 127 | <200 | ASTM D1744 |
Diesel | Diesel + Pinus nigra | Limits | JP8 | JP8 + Pinus nigra | Limits | Mix diesel-biodiesel (80 - 20)% | Mix diesel-biodiesel (80 - 20)% + pinus nigra | Limits diesel | Method | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Density 15˚C g/mL | 0.827 | 0.817 | 0.820 - 0.845 | 0.80 | 0.797 | 0.775 - 0.840 | 0.823 | 0.822 | 0.820 - 0.845 | ASTM D1298 |
˚API Gravity 60˚F | 39.6 | 39.2 | 35.9 - 41.0 | 45.3 | 46.5 | 37.0 - 51.0 | - | - | 35.9 - 41.0 | ASTM D4052 |
Kinematic Viscosity 40˚C mm2/s | 2.940 | 2.54 | 2.00 - 4.50 | - | - | 2.97 | 2.95 | 2.00 - 4.50 | ASTM D445 | |
Flash Point ˚C | 60 | 57 | >55 | 50 | 48 | > 38 | 65 | 57 | >55 | ASTM D93 |
Conductivity pS/m | 465 | 408 | <1000 | 15 | 6 | < 1 | 470 | 434 | <1000 | ASTM D2624 |
Water Content mg/kg | 72 | 45.1 | <200 | 48.5 | 38.6 | < 50 | 182 | 127 | <200 | ASTM D1744 |
Heat of Combustion J/g | 44,200 | 45,043 | >42,600 | 46,167 | 46,230 | >42,800 | 43,833 | 43,932 | >42,600 | ASTM D4809 |
The stability of used natural compound in conjunction with high hydrophilic properties enables the resin being capable as an additive material in fuel improvement process. Therefore the experimental results proved that the use of resin instead of other techniques could be more efficient and economical. Specially, the multiple capability of the material regeneration makes this technique more efficient and the resin could be used during the transportation of fuels or in the storage tanks in order to reduce, even to eliminate, the amount of humidity in short time before the fuels are used. This can happen with a limited cost which focuses mainly on the cost of the process of the resin picking.
Two runs were performed in the DSC experimental setup with the same process us reported in a previews paper [
As shown in
Both resin samples (~60 mg) were heated with the same experimental setup process us reported in a previews paper [
temperature, about 50˚C, for both samples of Pinus nigra in comparison of the Pinus halepensis “plasticization” [
The present study was an attempt to establish the possibility to use crude natural resins of P. nigra as a candidate material for antifouling fuel technology. The crude natural resin was used as a humidity/water adsorbent in order to purify commercial fuels and mix. The above methodology gives the opportunity to remove humidity of the liquid fuels (Diesel-JP-8) and mix Diesel-Biodiesel and the whole method is an environmental clean technologies segment.
All the physicochemical properties of the tested fuels were positively affected. Specifically, we show that the humidity eliminated 38%, 20% and 30% for the diesel fuel, jet fuel and mix diesel-biodiesel (80% - 20%) respectively. Also, the other physicochemical properties of the fuels were improved after the mixing with the resin additive. In particular, notice that the conductivity reduced up to 67, 9, 36 pS/m for the diesel fuel, jet fuel and mix diesel-biodiesel (80% - 20%) respectively and the heat of combustion increased by 843, 63, 99 J/g for the tree types of fuels. The used material (resin) is renewable, low cost, harmless and environmentally friendly.
The proposed technique can be of interest for the fuel community and industry because it’s quite simple as well as because of the superfluity and the low cost of the natural resin in Greece.
Constantinos Tsanaktsidis,Adams Stimoniaris,Spyros Bousios,George Tzilantonis,Athanasios Scaltsoyiannes,Maria Taktsira,Apostolos Scaltsoyiannes, (2016) Improvement of the Physicochemical Properties of Distilled Products of Petroleum (Diesel, JP-8) and Mix Diesel-Biodiesel by Using European Black Pine Oleoresin. Journal of Environmental Protection,07,583-590. doi: 10.4236/jep.2016.75052