Mr. Mahana
You have asked a question that can get very involved. The short answer is that our Diesel Fuel Supplement and Diesel Kleen contains neither a demulsifier or an emulsifier. I am going to include both of these products since they work the same way. Please read the following for a complete answer and the reasons.
A Demulsifier, an emulsifier and a water solubilizer are all water dispersants. All diesel fuel has water in it. The water that is in diesel fuel normally will not hurt or harm the motor, pumps or injectors. Low Sulfur diesel fuel usually has around 50 to 65ppm (parts per million) water in the fuel. Ultra Low Diesel Fuel will have about 30ppm water. When the water content of the fuel gets around 100ppm or higher, the more likely fuel filter icing will occur when the temperatures become severe. Also keep in mind that this is about the average water content of fuel. A fuel can have up to 500 ppm water in the fuel. Biodiesel, depending on the percentage, can have up to 1200 ppm water (B100) and I have seen it higher.
An emulsifier will pull water up into the fuel as small droplets and often will cause the fuel to be cloudy. In the winter months when the temperature drops below freezing, these water droplets can freeze on the filter face causing the flow of fuel to slow or stop, even though the fuel is still liquid. It does not take much water to cause Fuel Filter Icing problems. Also, as the temperatures drop water in the fuel can fall out depending on how much water is in the fuel and how cold it gets, which adds to water problems.
These new Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuels are what they call saturated and they have a tendency to pick up water when they are warm and then drop the water out of the fuel as they get colder. Zero seems to be a magic number as we have received many calls about fuel filter icing when the temperatures get around zero. ULSD fuels have had more problems with icing than last years Low Sulfur fuels.
Demulsifiers will cause excess water to fall out of the fuel. This water will fall to the bottom of the fuel tank or fuel system and can cause corrosion, rust, reduced lubricity and in the winter months it can freeze in the fuel lines and prevent fuel flow. There are about a dozen demulsifiers or de-hazers on the market. None of them will work on all fuels. You have to test the fuel you are using against the various demulsifiers to see which one will work with the fuel you are using. They are fuel specific and when an additive company says they use demulsifiers in their additives it is for advertisement purposes only. If you talk to any Chemist that knows anything about demulsifiers they will tell you the same thing. You have about a 1 in 12 chance that they will work with the fuel you are using.
A solubilizer will take the water and solubilize it back into the fuel. When this happens you will not have water droplets suspended in the fuel and when you look at the fuel it will be clear and not cloudy. This is the preferred method to get free water out of the system and to keep the water that is in the fuel from falling out. Too many people make the mistake that a solubilizer will disperse large amounts of water and that they are the Silver Bullet to solve all water problems. All additives have their limitations just a blended fuels have. When I say blended I mean a Number 2 fuel that has had Number 1 fuel or Kerosene added to it.
Diesel Fuel Supplement (DFS) contains a deicer that is intended to keep the water in the fuel from falling out. Warm fuel will carry more water than cold fuel. When it gets cold some water can fall out of the fuel, or the water separator can squeeze out this water which can freeze on the filter face and cause the fuel to stop flowing through the filter even though the fuel is still liquid. This is call Fuel Filter Icing and is often mistaken for fuel gelling. The deicer in DFS can also help to solubilize small amounts of water in the fuel system. If too much water is in the fuel tank it can overpower the deicer in the Diesel Fuel Supplement. So, DFS is neither a demulsifier or an emulsifier.
Diesel Kleen is a non-winter additive and it is intended to give you the very best injector cleaner, cetane, lubricity, fuel stability package and corrosion protection. The injector cleaner is strong enough to clean up a dirty injector to the spray pattern of a new injector. The Cetane Boost will help your engine start quicker, reduce emissions and improve engine performance. The lubricity package will bring the lubricity of the fuel up to the standard recommended by the fuel pump manufacturers. It meets the N14 Standard for corrosion and it will stabilize the fuel. Diesel Kleen contains a solubilizer. Diesel Kleen has more detergent and Cetane Boost than Diesel Fuel Supplement. I would recommend using Diesel Kleen in the non-winter months because it has more injector cleaner and cetane boost than the Diesel Fuel Supplement.
Our Diesel 911 is a strong water solubilizer and is meant to treat water related problems. It will take free water and combine it with the fuel so when you look at the fuel it is clear. Diesel 911 will combine with the fuel first and it will also keep the water in the fuel from falling out. It will act upon free water in the system. If the fuel is dry and is not saturated with water, it will pick up more free water than if the fuel is wet. A fuel solubilizer will not suspend water in the fuel as water droplets. Diesel 911 also contains an excellent lubricity package to help increase the fuels lubricity. Do not over use Diesel 911, only used as directed.
There is a lot of misinformation about additives and water dispersants. When you use an additive like our Diesel Fuel Supplement or Diesel Kleen these are mixtures of additives in a package. These various chemicals have to be balanced so they will not separate when you mix them together. It doesn't matter if you use our additives or one of our competitors, a good water dispersant takes a lot of room in the additive package. If you add a strong detergent, strong cetane, excellent lubricity, corrosion, top of the line antigel, and stability to the additive package there is not much room left for a water dispersant. A good multiple benefit package will always have a weak water dispersant package. It is a matter of chemistry. The only way to get a strong water dispersant is to get an additive whose top attribute is to control water like our Diesel 911.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Best Regards,
Brian Wilson
bwilson@powerservice.com
Compliance Coordinator
Technical Advisor
800-643-9089
