Cat Fines 2

With the CMT Cat Fines Tester, you are capable of determining the concentration of catalytic fines in fuel. The simple test is easy to perform, and the device is easy to operate. Therefore it is possible to perform several tests in a short time.

In general, marine diesel engines burn residual fuel oils. Some may contain higher levels of contaminants, such as water and abrasive solids, than others. To achieve reliable and cost-effective operation, clean all residual fuel oils before injection into the engines.

The leading cleaning method used onboard ships today is centrifugal separation. According to ISO 8217, the maximum allowable content of catalytic fines is 60 ppm. Engine builders anticipate that the fuel cleaning system will reduce this to a maximum of 10 – 15 ppm.

Catalytic fines are small particles of the spent catalyst after employing catalytic cracking processes. They are tough and capable of severely scratching, if not cutting, metal. All catalytic fines that remain in the fuel oil after centrifugal separation have the potential to cause abrasive wear and damage to the engine.