Looking into the lubricant demands of VLSFO fuel

Marine bench and engine tests revealed a high degree of variability in deposit formation and combustion characteristics among VLSFO blends, even using samples acquired from a relatively small geographical area. The widespread uptake of VLSFO as IMO’s sulfur cap enters force could lead to increased incidence of engine deposits and costly damage if the lubricants selected by ship operators are not robust enough to maintain engine cleanliness.

Lubrizol’s findings appear to be supported by early reports of high sediment levels – exceeding the specifications in the ISO 8217:2017 marine fuel standard – in many test samples of 0.5% sulphur fuel taken in Houston and Singapore. Fuels with high sediment levels can lead to an accumulation of sludge in fuel storage, handling and treatment systems, which could damage ship engines.

“It is clear that some features of VLSFOs introduce variability that will require lubricants with improved deposit handling performance,” says Harriet Brice, technology manager, marine diesel engine oils, Lubrizol. “Using a more robust lubricant will help to reduce the impact to the engine of this variability.”

Marine cylinder oils for low-sulphur fuels have not had to cope with this degree of deposit formation in the past and their additive packages may not be robust enough to handle the variable fuel characteristics of VLSFO.

Based on this research Lubrizol has developed and rigorously tested its own robust, low-BN additive package for cylinder oils to be used with VLSFOs. The resulting formulation deploys dispersant chemistry that is new to the marine lubricant sector and is specifically designed to help engines perform reliably while burning 0.5% sulphur fuels with a wide range of fuel properties.

The use of novel additive chemistries will not stop in 2020 as shipping’s fuel market continues to diversify. In particular, emerging low-carbon and carbon-neutral fuels will come with their own challenges for engine condition. Lubrizol’s deep investment in research, close ties to the marine industry and additive experience across several industrial sectors will position it to deliver the solutions that shipping needs.

Download the whitepaper, The VLSFO Challenge: Looking Deeper for Lubricant Performance by clicking here.