1. Fuel Contamination Gasoline into diesel fuel – Problems Lower diesel flashpoint - fire hazard Poor operability for diesel engines, lower cetane number Engine damage – Long term corrosion problem for the diesel underground storage tanks

2. Outline What is a Diesel Flashpoint? Flammable vs. Combustible Hydrocarbons Diesel Flashpoint affected by Gasoline Testing data at retailers from State Oil Laboratory – Substantial increase in failure in FY2015 – Summer vs Non-Summer season (vapor Pressure) Flashpoint of Diesel from Terminals Possible root causes

3. What is a Flashpoint? The flashpoint of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air. When the ignition source is removed, the vapor may cease to burn. Too low of a flashpoint is a fire hazard because ignition may continue and lead to explosion. ASTM D975 Diesel Specification: 125 ° F minimum

4. U.S. Definition of Flammable Liquid Class IA flammable liquids have a flashpoint below 73 °F (22.8 °C) (the upper end of the common range of room temperature) and a boiling point below 100 °F Class IB flammable liquids have a flash point below 73 °F (22.8 °C) and a boiling point greater than or equal to 100 °F (37.8 °C) Class IC flammable liquids have a flash point greater than or equal to 73 °F (22.8 °C) and below 100 °F (37.8 °C)

5. Combustible Liquids Class II combustible liquids have a flash point greater than or equal to 100 °F (37.8 °C) and below 140 °F (60 °C) Class IIIA combustible liquids have a flash point greater than or equal to 140 °F (60 °C) and below 200 °F (93.3 °C) Class IIIB combustible liquids have a flash point greater than or equal to 200 °F (93.3 °C)

6. Problems with Low Flashpoint Diesel (gasoline contamination) Safety Hazard Lower Cetane Number Increases the Auto-ignition temperature – vaporizes more fuel prior to ignition; rapid pressure changes; engine noise and knocks Lower Lubricity Burns Hotter

7. Gasoline: low flashpoint, high auto-ignition temp Diesel: high flashpoint, low auto-ignition temp. Mixed with ethanol blended gasoline – Increase diesel auto-ignition temp. – Ethanol + water + biodiesel* = perfect recipe for bacteria growth and corrosion * most diesel fuel contains up to 5% biodiesel

12. All terminals are OK. Samples from Terminal 6 is not from the Pipeline

13. All OK, except the one from the tanker truck

15. Flashpoint Test Methods Tifton Lab – ASTM D93 Penske Martens Close Cup – 50 mil sample – ASTM official method Mobile Fuel Lab – ASTM D6450 Mini-flash Grabner (Continuous Close Cup) – 1-2 mil in an enclosed environment – No open flame, safe, no waste disposal

16. Possible Root Causes Diesel flashpoint failure is almost non-existent at the terminal level Switch Loading – residual gasoline from previous load Split Loading – share common drains and venting system Sharing common venting system for under ground fuel tanks Human error – mis-filling

17. Conclusion Gasoline contaminated diesel is the major problem for the local retailers at this time – more than water related. Affects more than 220 retail stations in FY2015 1% gasoline can reduce the diesel flashpoint by 30 ° F Winter season has more problem due to high vapor pressure of gasoline Diesel flashpoint failure at terminals is almost non- existent Switch loading probably the source of problems

18. Ethanol in Diesel Fuel Form bacteria in the presence of water: – water and ethanol phase creates a perfect environment for bacterial growth. The bacteria are known as Acetobacter aceti, which are able to survive in an acid environment with a pH of 4. – the bacteria have an orange color and are not harmful to humans. These bacteria are about 0.6 micron in diameter and 4 microns in length, which is relatively smaller than most common bacteria. – the bacteria form tiny chained particles that can clog injectors. – the bacteria generate an acetic acid during the growing process, which may subsequently corrode the underground tanks.

19. Acetobacter aceti Requires oxygen to grow; no evidence showing that it is a threat to humans Causes some detrimental effects on pineapples. - the pink disease Used in the production of vinegar by converting the ethanol in wine into acetic acid Able to survive in acidic environments

20. Underground ULSD Storage Tank Owners Keep water and ethanol out of the tanks Practice good housekeeping Do not share a common ventilation system with that of gasoline To minimize mis-fillings, follow the recommended API Product Delivery Color Code for the UST.