How long can diesel be stored?
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Those who live in rural areas know that during the busy farming season, many families store some diesel. Since the motor vehicles used in rural areas are all diesel-powered, they store more of it for easy use during the busy farming seasons; therefore, we should learn more about this aspect. Because diesel is a flammable liquid. First, let’s find out how long diesel can be stored. How long can diesel be stored? The shelf life of diesel can be said to be infinite; however, as time passes, its combustion rate gradually decreases, though this change is barely noticeable. The main indicators are cetane number, viscosity, freezing point, etc. The requirements for diesel quality are good combustion performance and fluidity. The combustion performance is indicated by the cetane number, with higher values being better; the diesel fuel produced from Daqing crude oil can have a cetane number of up to 68. The cetane number of light diesel used in high-speed diesel engines is 42–55, while that of low-speed engines is below 35. It can remain fresh in a sealed oil tank for a certain period of time; you can store it as long as you want. However, over time it will gradually evaporate, resulting in a decrease in its volume. There are many factors that determine the storage duration of fuel, both subjective and objective ones. The effect of the inherent components on stability ； The impact of storage conditions on fuel, etc. Therefore, the warehouses that store fuel need to be regularly inspected and tested to determine the quality of the fuel stored there. Oil companies stipulate the testing cycle for oil products: six months for oil in barrels, and three months for oil in tanks. When there are doubts about the quality of the oil due to changes in storage conditions. Testing and quality inspection should be carried out at any time.
Barrelled diesel can be used for a long time because it is fully sealed, which prevents oxygen from coming into contact with the fuel. This reduces the interaction between the fuel and oxygen, thereby minimizing oxidation reactions. As a result, the formation of gums, insoluble substances, and acidity in the fuel is reduced, improving the stability of the fuel and making it less likely to change color. Canned products have breathing pores, which increase contact with oxygen; as a result, oxidation reactions occur more frequently and stability is reduced. There are regional differences in storage locations; compared to plains, storage is easier on plateaus due to canned products. Because the air is thin, the oxygen pressure is low, there is less oxygen, and thus fewer oxidation reactions occur. The stability of the oil is good. It also has something to do with temperature. The colder it is, the easier it is to store. The stability of this oil product is very important. Also, hydrogenated diesel is easier to store than regular diesel, and it does not change color as easily. Hydrogenated diesel is often light green in color, while regular diesel is off-white. Regular diesel contains more olefins and alkynes; these unsaturated hydrocarbons can easily polymerize to form gums when exposed to light, i.e., heat, as well as in the presence of heavy metals such as those found in steel storage tanks. Acidification. Therefore, many gas stations also give priority to hydrogenated diesel when making purchases, and they opt for dedicated storage tanks to minimize the impact of temperature, thereby **improving the stability of the fuel. There are many more.