Cloud point prediction of fuels and fuel blends

The cloud point temperature, the temperature at which the first wax crystals appear in solution, is one of the most important specifications associated with the low temperature behaviour of a fuel. A database of about 80 fuels and fuel blends was collected and used to assess the performance of the three predictive local composition models (Wilson, NRTL and UNIQUAC) for cloud point prediction. The results indicates that Predictive UNIQUAC can predict the cloud points of the fuels within the experimental uncertainty of the measurements. It could thus be a useful tool in the production of fuels both in the design of refining process and the blend of fuels to meet the low temperature specifications. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.