Removing residual water from refined fuels

Residual water in refined hydrocarbon fuels can be seen as a "haze," even at levels less than 0.5 percent by weight. Water in fuel can degrade engine performance.

Free water is typically introduced through refining-unit inefficiencies and then becomes part of a water-in-oil emulsion or a free-water emulsion. The water eventually settles out, but surfactants at the water/oil interface may inhibit water-droplet coalescence. If this happens, the hazy fuel must be allowed to settle longer, disrupting shipping schedules and increasing storage space requirements.

Chemical dehazer from GE Water & Process Technologies displace surfactants at the water/oil interface that stabilize emulsions. Dosage (typically 10 to 100 ppm by volume) depends on the amount and type of surfactants in the fuel. After treatment, water droplets coalesce more easily, decreasing settlement time. Dehazers are equally effective in gasoline and diesel fuel and are not affected by polar compounds (such as MTBE or alcohols) in the fuel.

GE can identify and apply the most appropriate dehazer treatments from our SpecAid product line to ensure that your fuel products meet pipeline clarity specifications (measured by the Colonial Haze Test) and pose no problems for the engines that use them.