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Title: Bacterial contamination of motor gasoline

Conference ·
OSTI ID:45056
 [1];  [2]
  1. ECHA Microbiology Ltd., Cardiff (United Kingdom)
  2. Koerperschaft des Oeffentlichen Rechts, Hamburg (Germany)

Microbiological growth is found frequently in the bottom of jet fuel, distillate, heavy gasoil and crude oil tanks. Experience shows that traces of water - though theoretically enough for an outbreak of growth - rarely cause problems, because the tank is most probably drained frequently. However when a water table builds up and remains untouched for some time, the likelihood for growth, leading to later operational problems, rapidly increases. Normal paraffin hydrocarbons with c{sub 8}-c{sub 16} chain length appear to be especially vulnerable; in other words the kerosene/jet fuel boiling range is mainly at risk. Heavier hydrocarbon products (diesel, light heating oils and gasoils) however have increasingly seen problems over the last 15-20 years. Lighter products - mainly the gasoline boiling range appear to have been protected from microbial problems over many years. In a laboratory it was of course possible to degrade certain kinds of naphthas and finished gasolines, but those results did not mirror the findings in the field.

Research Organization:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Technical Management
OSTI ID:
45056
Report Number(s):
CONF-941022-Vol.1; ON: DE95008873; TRN: 95:003336-0012
Resource Relation:
Conference: 5. international conference on stability and handling of liquid fuels, Rotterdam (Netherlands), 3-7 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 5th international conference on stability and handling of liquid fuels. Volume 1; Giles, H.N. [ed.]; PB: 431 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English