Mazut (Furnace oil) is a distilled product of crude oil and is a liquid used for burning in furnaces, boilers, and diesel engines to generate power. Furnace oil refers to a fraction of crude oil with a flash point of around 40 degrees. It is composed of long-chain hydrocarbons, especially alkanes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics, and is classified as a heavy industrial fuel, heavier than diesel and lighter than heavy fuel oil. The chain length of produced furnace oil varies depending on its specific application. For example, furnace oil diesel is composed of hydrocarbons with chain lengths ranging from 10 to 20 carbon atoms, and therefore can have one of the following structures:
C14H30 – C15H32 – C16H34 – C17H36 – C18H38 – C19H40 – C20H42
Or
Furnace oil, also known as Mazut, is one of the petroleum hydrocarbons obtained during the purification stages of crude oil, following the production of ether, gasoline, and kerosene. It is also referred to as black oil due to its black color. This substance is the cheapest fuel for heating furnaces, bathhouses, bakeries, diesel engines, and some powe plants.
Mazut is produced in grades M180, M280, and M380.
Types of furnace oil:
- Light: Used in furnaces, having a gravity of about 100°F and a density of 0.9250 at 60°F. The heat value is 19,000 BTU/LB.
- Normal: Used in power plants, with a viscosity of 600 SEC at 100°F and a density of 0.9500 at 60°F. The heat value is 18,500 BTU/LB.
- Heavy: Used in heavy industries, with a viscosity of 2000 SEC at 100°F and a density of 0.9700 at 60°F. The heat value is 8,000 BTU/LB.
The first is furnace oil 180 and 230, which consists of heavier cuts than natural gas and mainly includes heavy hydrocarbons present in the residual fraction of crude oil distillation. Depending on the usage, it can be adjusted by using lighter oil cuts and is used as a heavy fuel for stationary and mobile diesel engines and industries with designed burners for their combustion systems.
The second is furnace oil 280 and 380, which is obtained from the residue of distillation towers and is adjusted by using lighter cuts. It is used as a field fuel and provides suitable heat value due to its composition. The metals present in this type of furnace oil do not cause any issues in consuming systems, so it is used as fuel in industries and power plants that utilize this grade of furnace oil in their combustion systems.
The third is heavy furnace oil, which is the heavy residue obtained from crude oil distillation towers and does not require blending with lighter products for viscosity adjustment. It has a suitable sulfur content and good heat value. Heavy furnace oil is used in industries and power plants that utilize heavy fuel in their fuel systems.