I was wondering, if fuel additives marketed to reduce char to premium paraffin levels, improve burning properties, etc. Do they worth adding to fresh fuel (heating oil/28 sec kerosene in my case)? Example1 here, other one here and a third specimen.
That will depend on the application intended. In general, there are no additives or will ever be any, that will turn less 'pure' paraffins into purer paraffins. That applies to both 'light naphthas /straight run gasolines /white gas type fuels as well as to kerosene(paraffin in UK). For wick burners, there might be some advantages from certain additives such as corrosion inhibitors, stabilizers, gumming reducers, etc. Same goes for those working with fuel injecting burners or internal combustion engines. For strictly pressurized appliances such as liquid fueled pressure lanterns, heaters and stoves, additives are, in most if not all instances, highly detrimental.
Sure, additives won't remove e.g. sulfur. However, cleaner burn of aromatics is I guess well possible. I would not wander further than dedicated heating oil additives (mostly marketed here by 28 sec kero merchants) designed for the very same fuel I intend to use. Are these very different than household oil boilers? They also operate with pressurized oil, anything added to the fuel formula has to be compatible with the pressurized fuel delivery from tank to flame. What I expect to achieve here is as clean as possible burning and minimizing char/soot.
Revisiting what heating oil merchants say about "premium heating oil", it seems the additive they provide is mainly to mitigate large scale bunkering issues: Premium Kerosene is it worth it? 5 key benefits outlined and the costs of the heating oil additive explained. | Carnegie Fuels My goal is mainly to improve burning characteristics (perfect burning of aromatic content, minimizing char and soot), these may not be the right boosters for small-scale use, where I keep the fuel in dry, sealed 10-30L plastic containers...
Very different. The pressure lanterns and stoves here use generators for fuel vaporization. Liquid fuel is changed into gaseous by purely thermal means before it is mixed with air. The working temperatures, which is around 200 to 300 deg C typical in the generators for complete vaporization of any kero. The fuel additives either serve no purpose or worse, hasten the fuel degradation process by facilitating thermal cracking and pyrolysis under this condition. Most boilers, be it household or industrial, on the other hand, don't work with the above principle. The fuel oil or any other liquid fuel is either injected directly using pumps and atomizing nozzles or dripped directly into the hearth or burning area for less sophisticated systems. The fuel stays in liquid state, way below its vaporizing temperature range, throughout the delivery systems, all the way to the nozzles. There is hardly any thermal breakdown of the fuel or any of the additives contained within. Therefore, the additives could work as intended or claimed. In these systems, there is virtually no heated* or partially degraded fuel being cycled back by thermal expansion into the founts or fuel tanks like those devices with vaporizing generators. --heated* in this case means "being heated to and beyond fuel vaporization temperatures at standard atmospheric pressures", not merely 'warmed' up to reduce viscosity of the fuel, as common in larger boilers and other commercial or industrial burners.
As long your burner or heater does not use vaporizing generators, I'd say its always a good idea to explore on the various additives on the market. You can only judge by the actual results. Quantitative assesments can only be made with proper analytical equipment. Aromatics have greater percentages of carbon in their molecular structures as compared to paraffins/alkanes. Carbon requires relatively more oxygen than would be for hydrogen for complete oxidation. We can just say, carbon is a little harder to oxidize than hydrogen. They'd still burn perfectly if you're using vaporizing generators. You can burn pure benzene, toluene or any xylenes with a pale blue flame in pressure lanterns or stoves(assuming they're built with all the safety features). Try burning these in the open, with or without wicks....you get extra sooty flames,..much more than burning diesel.
Thanks @MYN I have been told by quite a few people now that using heating oil etc is fine in pressure lanterns, heaters and i was considering trying some for myself in case prices of Paraffin go through the roof as i intend to try and use Paraffin heaters this winter, i may still try a small amount in a wick heater to see if the smell is bearable.
I am in the same boat, looking forward to your results if they come first. Make sure you buy fresh heating oil from a merchant, not from the bottom of an old tank. Heating oil (c2) standards chaged maybe 2 years ago, these are the new specs: https://cdn.crownoil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/KEROSENE-REGULAR-CLASS-C2-141215.pdf Promising on the reduced sulfur, smoke point (aromatics?) is still behind premium paraffins.
Usually, if the oil works well in a wick lamp, it should have no problems in the mentioned heater. Test it with wick lamps and observe the burn.
