Additives in Canadian fuels: additives used

Additive use in Canadian fuels

3.1 Uses of additives

There were 95 different fuel additives reported for 1999, produced by a variety of manufacturers (refer to Appendix E). Additives have many purposes, such as a flow improver, anti-oxidant, octane improver, oxygenate, lubricity improver, detergent, static electricity dissipater/electrical conductivity improver, dye, anti-knock agent, anti-haze, odourant, deposit control, cetane improver, pour point depressant, elemental sulphur mitigation, corrosion inhibitor, metal deactivator, hydrogen sulphide scavenger, mercaptan scavenger, stabilizer and anti-freeze.

3.2 Most common additive uses by fuel type

The information provided to Environment Canada by refiners and importers on the uses of additives in Canadian fuels is summarized in Tables 3.1 to 3.7. The tables present the uses of the additives reported for each fuel type (aviation turbine fuel, diesel, distillates, fuel oil, gasoline, kerosene and stove oil, propane) listed in decreasing order of the number of refiners and importers that reported using additives for that purpose. For different uses with the same number of users, further ranking is carried out based on the column % of Canadian fuel that the refiners and importers represent. The column entitled % of Canadian fuel that the refiners and importers represent indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use). For each use listed, there may be several different additives that produce that result.

There were 47 additives reported for gasoline that together have 20 different uses. Deposit control was the most reported use by 11 refiners and 1 importer that combined supply 56% of Canadian gasoline. The use of additives as an anti-oxidant was reported by 11 refiners that together supply 71% of Canadian gasoline. Additives used as an octane improver containing metals are used by 15 refiners that together supply 87% of Canadian gasoline.

Oxygenates are reported to be added by 5 refiners and 1 importer that supply 16.1% of Canadian gasoline. Note that the use of oxygenates is likely to be much larger than shown as many companies do not consider oxygenates to be "additives". The term "additive" is not defined in the regulations. The common usage of the term (for example, the Canadian General Standards Board's standard for unleaded automotive gasoline and the federal Benzene in Gasoline and Sulphur in Gasoline regulations) implies that oxygenates are not "additives". Nevertheless oxygenate usage must be reported under the Benzene in Gasoline Regulations. A summary of oxygenate usage will be part of a report on that regulation that Environment Canada will soon be preparing. This report will be available to the public upon request.

There were 35 additives reported for diesel fuel that have 23 uses. The use of additives as a lubricity improver was reported by 12 refiners that supply 61% of Canadian diesel fuel. The use of additives as a cetane improver was reported by 7 refiners that combined supply 42% of Canadian diesel fuel.

There were 27 additives reported for fuel oil that have 16 uses. The use of additives as a static electricity dissipater / electrical conductivity improver was reported by 5 refiners that together supply 47% of Canadian fuel oil. The use of additives as an anti-oxidant was reported by 3 refiners that supply 26% of Canadian fuel oil.

There were 4 propane additives that have 2 uses. 7 refiners reported using additives as an odourant and 1 refiner reported using additives for water absorption in liquid propane. The information for the percentages of Canadian propane those refiners and importers supply was not available.

8 additives that have 6 uses were reported for kerosene and stove oil. The most reported use was as a static electricity dissipater / electrical conductivity improver by 3 refiners who supply 6% of Canadian kerosene and stove oil. Use of additives as a lubricity improver was reported by 2 refiners that combined account for 11 % of the supply of Canadian kerosene and stove oil.

There were 7 different additives reported for aviation turbine fuel that have 5 uses. Static electricity dissipater / electrical conductivity improver was the most reported use by 11 refiners and 1 importer that together supply 69 % of Canadian aviation turbine fuel. The use of additives as a corrosion inhibitor was reported by 5 refiners that supply 40 % of Canadian aviation turbine fuel.

9 additives that have 9 uses were reported for distillates. The use of additives as a lubricity improver was reported by 8 refiners that supply 20% of Canadian distillates. The use of additives as a static electricity dissipater / electrical conductivity improver was reported by 2 refiners that supply 10% of Canadian distillates.

^a Terms listed reflect the usage as reported by companies
^b Based on 1998 data. Indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use).
^c This is the arithmetic average of the weighted average of additive concentration (mg/L) reported by refiners and importers.
^d Actual oxygenate usage is much larger - refer to text.

^e Terms listed reflect the usage as reported by companies.
^f Based on 1998 data. Indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use).
^g This is the arithmetic average of the weighted average of additive concentration (mg/L) reported by refiners and importers

^h Terms listed reflect the usage as reported by companies.
ⁱ Based on 1998 data. Indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use).
^j This is the arithmetic average of the weighted average of additive concentration (mg/L) reported by refiners and importers.

^k Terms listed reflect the usage as reported by companies.
^l Based on 1998 Data. Indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use).
^m This is the arithmetic average of the weighted average of additive concentration (mg/L) reported by refiners and importers.

ⁿ Terms listed reflect the usage as reported by companies.
^o Based on 1998 Data. Indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use).
^p This is the arithmetic average of the weighted average of additive concentration (mg/L) reported by refiners and importers.

^q Terms listed reflect the usage as reported by companies.
^r Based on 1998 Data. Indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use).
^s This is the arithmetic average of the weighted average of additive concentration (mg/L) reported by refiners and importers.

^t Terms listed reflect the usage as reported by companies.
^u Based on 1998 Data. Indicates the percentage of the total amount of Canadian fuel that is imported and produced by the companies that reported that use (note that this is not necessarily the same as the percentage of fuel that actually contains additives for that use).
^v This is the arithmetic average of the weighted average of additive concentration (mg/L) reported by refiners and importers.