How2Day: Diesel Engine Oil Types

Diesel oil is only used in specific types of engines. Not all engines can operate on diesel oil. There are many ways to produce this type of fuel from petroleum, plants, gases and some biological materials. There are various types of diesel engine oils, each with different properties including purity and heaviness, as diesel fuel is denser than regular oil. Diesel oil can be very advantageous due to its low emissions of toxins into the environment when the engine is tuned and maintained.

As mentioned, diesel oil can now be produced from sources other than petroleum. This is the case with biodiesel, also referred to as "B100." It is produced from renewable sources, generally vegetable oils and animal fats. The performance of an engine running on biodiesel is often compared to its competitor, petroleum-derived diesel, despite the fact that there is very little difference in performance.

This type of diesel engine oil is commonly known as "B-20," meaning that it is the result of mixing 80 percent regular diesel and 20 percent biodiesel. B-5 is another common type of blended oil, made up of 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent regular diesel. This blend was not very popular until recently; it is now being used for many different engines.

United States law requires that all diesel engines must burn ultra-low-sulfur diesel as of January 1, 2009. This type of diesel oil contains approximately 10 parts per million of sulphur, which significantly reduces the engine's emission of nitrogen oxide gases and soot, compared to regular diesel. The emission of nitrogen oxide gases and soot has been one of the main concerns about regular diesel fuel, but now ultra-low-sulfur diesel is becoming more commonly used.

Many engines still use regular diesel, which is much more polluting than any of the aforementioned diesel oil types. The main reason for this is because of the amount of sulfur regular diesel contains, which is approximately 500 parts per million. However, in most countries, by law, some of this sulfur must be removed before using the diesel oil in a car engine, and this can dramatically reduce the effect it has on the environment.

Diesel can be categorized in many separate grades, though the most common are 1D, 2D and 4D, classified according to their densities. Grade 1D is the lightest of the three, generally used in engine applications where the speed is constantly changing or in extremely low temperatures.

Grade 2D is a general purpose fuel, most commonly used in uniform to high-speed engines in warmer temperatures. Combined with the right amounts, it can be mixed with grade 1D fuel to make effective winter gasoline.

Grade 4D fuel is not as commonly used because it is much denser than the others. It is predominantly used in very low-speed engines.

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