Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 27;10(17):e36945.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36945. eCollection 2024 Sep 15.

Evaluation of physicochemical parameters as indicators of diesel adulteration

J K Dadson  1 , V Arthur  2 , N Y Asiedu  3 , O Akoto  4
Affiliations

Evaluation of physicochemical parameters as indicators of diesel adulteration

J K Dadson et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Diesel adulteration not only reduces engine performance and lifespan but also has a stiffening effect on the economy. Therefore, regulatory agencies and petroleum laboratories are constantly adopting various methods to ensure that commercial diesel is pure and of good quality. Despite the introduction of solvent tracer analysis as a reliable means of detecting adulteration, most laboratories still depend on the physicochemical parameters of diesel as an indicator of adulteration. This research aimed to document the feasibility of using quality parameters to detect diesel adulteration. Neat diesel samples were mixed with some common adulterants (kerosene, premix, and condensate) at varying concentrations. The quality of each admixture was analysed using the ERASPEC fuel analyser and physicochemical parameters including density, kinematic viscosity, cetane index, and flashpoint were recorded. A negative correlation was observed between adulteration and all quality parameters. At low levels of adulteration, physicochemical parameters were within the required range. However, diesel with adulterants above 20 % v/v had cetane index, density, and flashpoint values not conforming with quality standards. Kinematic viscosity of diesel remained within the required limits despite the levels of adulteration. Physicochemical parameters, though generally accepted as good indicators of fuel quality, were not reliable indicators of diesel adulteration, especially at low levels. At higher levels of adulteration, the type of adulterant present must be considered if physicochemical parameters are to be used to predict adulteration. However, it is recommended that physicochemical parameters be used in combination with other techniques to detect diesel adulteration.

Keywords: Diesel adulteration; Physicochemical parameters; Quality parameters.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
ERASPEC fuel analyser.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(2A) Effect of varying levels of adulteration on density of diesel (2B) Correlation between level of adulterant and diesel density.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
3A) Effect of varying levels of adulteration on cetane index of diesel 3B) Correlation between level of adulterant and cetane index of diesel.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
4A) Effect of varying levels of adulteration on kinematic viscosity of diesel: 4B) Correlation between level of adulterant and kinematic viscosity of diesel.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
5A) Effect of varying levels of adulteration on flashpoint of diesel 5B) Correlation between level of adulterant and flashpoint of diesel.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Joel G., Okoro L.N. Recent advances in the use of sensors and markers for fuel adulteration detection: a review. Int. J. Res. Sci. Innov. 2019;6(XI):82–89.
    1. Takeshita E.V., Rezende R.D.P., De Souza S.G.U., de Souza A.U. Influence of solvent addition on the physicochemical properties of Brazilian gasoline. Fuel. 2008;87(10–11):2168–2177.
    1. Dadson J., Pandam S., Asiedu N. Modeling the characteristics and quantification of adulterants in gasoline using FTIR spectroscopy and chemometric calibrations. Cogent chemistry. 2018;4(1)
    1. Trail L. Authentix; 2019. Fuel Authentication Case Study: Ghana.https://authentix.com/fuel-authentication-case-study-ghana/
    1. Cunha D.A., Neto A.C., Colnago L.A., Castro E.V., Barbosa L.L. Application of time-domain NMR as a methodology to quantify adulteration of diesel fuel with soybean oil and frying oil. Fuel. 2019;252:567–573.

LinkOut - more resources