Mechanisms of the change in the properties of diesel fuels during storage

Several industrial production processes are taken into consideration, including straight-run distillation of crude oils and liquid gas condensates, in selecting diesel fuels (DF) for long-term storage. Three classes of hydrocarbons are contained in DF from primary processes, which are aromatics, paraffins, and naphthenes. The gums and solid sediments formed in the storage and shipment of DF, distributed in the form of a disperse phase, and are deposited on the walls of pipes and tanks. The quality of DF was investigated during prolonged storage in underground tanks located in the southern, northern, and western regions of the Republic of Syria. A graph is plotted for convenience of determining the change in the cetane number of the DF during storage in the different regions. It is found that the smallest decrease in the cetane number occurred in the northern region of the country, and the highest occurred in the western region.