Assessment of the Effectiveness of Aftermarket Fuel Stabilizers in Preventing Gum Formation and Loss of Oxidation Stability
2022-01-0584
03/29/2022
- Event
- Content
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles are growing in popularity. These vehicles may be driven short distances and recharged several times before engine operation is needed. This situation can cause fuel storage in the vehicle fuel tank for much longer periods of time than have been typical for conventional vehicles. Aftermarket fuel stabilizers have long been marketed to consumers with little if any information availbe to help consumers assess their effectiveness. This study examined the oxidation stability and gum formation tendencies for gasoline samples blended using 3 aftermarket additives plus a top-tier fuel sample and baseline gasoline over a period of one year. Analyses of the fuel oxidation stability and gum formation were conducted at the inception of the study, 1, 2,3, 6, and 12 months of aging. The results demonstrate that while the additives do increase the oxidation stability of the fuel, the baseline sample (without aftermarket additive) remains compliant with gasoline specifications for unwashed gums and oxidation stability for at least 12 months. These results demonstrate that consumers need not be concerned about gasoline aging in their vehicle fuel tanks so long as they use the engine enough to require a refill once a year.
- Citation
- Sluder, C., and Davis, S., "Assessment of the Effectiveness of Aftermarket Fuel Stabilizers in Preventing Gum Formation and Loss of Oxidation Stability," SAE Technical Paper 2022-01-0584, 2022, .