Gel fuels based on oil-filled cryogels: Corrosion of tank material and spontaneous ignition

Oil pollution caused by the spillage and ignition of used oil is a global issue of anthropogenic interference. A promising solution to this problem is the gelation of used oils. In this work, we study the potential hazards in the storage and transportation of gel fuels based on oil-filled cryogels in aluminium alloy tanks. These hazards include electrochemical corrosion of tanks and spontaneous fuel ignition under external heat sources. The corrosion damage caused to storage and transportation tanks was lesser in the liquid fuel component released from oil-filled cryogels as compared to that in the used oils contained in oil-filled cryogels. A laser-based processing method was used to create various textures on the surfaces of the fuel tank samples formed of aluminium alloy to enhance their corrosion resistance. The experimental results of the potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance measurements, as well as long-term contact tests in the liquid fuel component revealed that the features of the texture created by laser radiation play a crucial role in anti-corrosion processes. Furthermore, the fire hazard of gel fuels was assessed based on the ignition characteristics under conductive and radiant-convective heating. The minimum ignition temperatures were found to vary from 540 to 565 degrees C under different ways of heat supply that is lower than the ignition temperature of oils in the initial state.