Detection of bunker fuel adulterants and contamination, per ISO 8217.
Intertek marine bunker fuel testing detects and identifies adulterants which can harm ship engines and violate emission regulations. Marine bunker fuels should not contain added substances or chemical waste products, per section 5 of ISO-8217. Adulterated Bunker Fuel jeopardizes the safety of ships, adversely affects the performance of machinery, and may prove harmful to personnel and the environment. Adulterated bunker fuel incidents occur when marine bunker fuels are blended with chemical waste products such as styrene, chlorinated solvents, and other volatile solvents.
Intertek laboratories provide headspace GC/MS analysis for detecting volatile contaminants in bunker fuel. A small amount of fuel oil is heated in a sealed vial for one hour, after which time a portion of the vapour above the sample is taken for GCMS analysis. Solvents, such as chlorinated compounds, dry cleaning fluids, and chemical wastes such as styrene, are easily detectable down to low ppm levels.
Intertek labs analyze bunker fuel to identify heavier contaminants such as vegetable oils and waste contaminants such as adipic esters. Adulterated marine fuels are often referred to as "rogue" fuels. Rogue fuels are capable of inflicting "phantom" damages to a ship's engines. Repair of damage caused from bad bunker fuel involves costly down-time, replacement parts, and disruption of shipping schedules. Protect your expensive ship assets and your business with a marine bunker fuel quality testing program from Intertek.
Bunker fuel testing:
