FUEL POLISHING AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Fuel polishing is a process that primarily done with diesel fuels, which can essentially accumulate dirt over time. It’s important to understand not only what fuel polishing is, but how it is important to the life of the parts it fuels.

• Dirty oil - With any oil, constant usage eventually causes it to pick up dirt, sediment and other particles, commonly referred to as sludge. One particle buildup that is especially prevalent in diesel fuel is microbial contamination. Microbial contamination, also known as diesel bugs, is the growth of bacteria or fungi due to the presence of water that mixes in with the oil.
  
• Effects - Over time, the presence of any of this dirt can result in the breakdown of the viscosity, which is the thickness of the liquid. Thin or gritty oil can eventually lead to increased friction on the moving parts where it is being used.
  
• Polishing - Polishing is the removal of contaminants from the oil, thus making it cleaner and more high performance. The process of polishing involves multiple filtering. How long the polishing process is, depends on the quality of the fuel being polished, and how much sludge has accumulated.
  

Fuel polishing is essential for removing unwanted particles and keeping the sludge in engine parts down to a minimum. For more on the fuel polishing process and why it’s important, call Paul Murray Oil at 904-353-1411.