VANADIUM AND

SODIUM IN RESIDUAL
FUELS

Prepared By:
Delian Mariel Marasigan
Vanadium

• A natural occurring element at marine fuel oil

• A metal element that is present in an oil soluble form in all
crude oil.
• When combined with Sodium (Na) can cause engine
damage.
Sodium
• Usual source of sodium is sea water contamination.
• It can be 1% of sea water contains 100mg/kg (ppm) of
sodium.
• While fuels that are water free normally contains 1% to 50
mg/kg of sodium.
• The amount of sodium removed will be directly
proportional to the amount of water that can be removed
in settling tanks by centrifugal treatment.
 What is wrong with
Vanadium and Sodium?
• High Temperature corrosion and fouling are phenomena
that can be mainly attributed to the vanadium and sodium
content of the oil.
• Both elements (Na and V) oxidize during combustion and
in series of complex chemical reactions form semi-liquid,
it is a sticky low melting point salts that adhere to exhaust
valves, piston crowns and turbocharges blade surfaces.
 What is Vanadium Pentoxide and
Sodium Sulphate?
• Due to result of oxidation Vanadium form:

Vanadium Oxide (VO)

Vanadium Dioxide (VO2)

• When this chemical reaction enter cooler areas of the combustion

chamber, or exhaust ducts. Gasses start to cool, condense and
undergo further oxidation resulting in particles containing high
proportion of Vanadium Pentoxide (V2O5) on the outer layers.
Vanadium Pentoxide (V2O5)
• Has relatively low melting point
• The condensed particles become semi-liquid and sticky
that results of adhering to the surfaces.

• Sodium in Residual Fuel reacts with the water vapor

formed during combustion and generate sodium
hydroxide (NaOH).
• Sodium Hydoxide + Sulfur Dioxide Sodium Sulphate (Na2SO4)

Condences below 890°C will

adhere to surface with
vanadium pentoxide

 Sodium hydroxide + Vanadium Pentoxide formation will result

to block gas passages and corrode metal surfaces.
Ash Content
• The ash values of a residual fuel oil is related to the
inorganic material within, and it is the results of various
factors:
• ¾ of ashes in crude oil
• ¾ of various streams in a refinery for the component of the fuel oil
blending.
• Or ¾ of the possible subsequent contamination due to sand, dirt
and rust scale.
• The main ash forming elements present in crude oil are:
• Aluminum (Al), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Calcium (Ca), Silicon
(Si),Sodium (Na) and Vanadium (V)
Maximum vanadium levels defined in
marine world specified in ISO 8217:
• The main component of the ash forming elements
contained in the fuel delivered to engines is usually
VANADIUM (V).
• Sodium was considered as the second highest
contributor.
• Vanadium (in ash form) will only reduce @ test
temperature above 525°C.
• The levels of vanadium found in residual fuels depend
mainly to the crude oil source, while the actual level is
also related to the concentrating effect of the refinery
process used in production of the residual fuel.
Ash Melting Points
• Melting points of ashes vary greatly depending on ash
constituents.
• A sodium/vanadium ratio of 1:3 is frequently claimed to
yield the lowest ash melting temperature. It is correct in
two component of Na2So4/V2O5 ash complex.
• The critical 1:3 Na/V ratio assumes increasing importance
as the vanadium content of fuel oil rises, ash became rich
with vanadium content.
• At high levels of vanadium total ash burden will be
greater.
Effect of Ratio to Melting Point
What it might do to the Engine?
• Erosion - the wearing away of the metal by hot exhaust
gases possibly initiated by the impacting of ash and
carbon on the value.

• Fused Salt Corrosion – Na and V at high temp. form

corrosive fluxes, attacking and corroding exhaust valves,
turbocharger nozzles and blades. The salts dissolve
protective oxide layers facilitating the further gas phase
oxidation.
CIMAC suggest the following:
 Avoid fuel oils with vanadium content above 150 mg/kg
 Avoid exhaust gas temperatures above 550°C before
turbocharger in order to minimize deposits of sodium-
vanadium salts on turbocharger nozzle ring or turbine.
Alternatively appropriate fuel oil additive can be used to
increase the ash melting point temperature.
 Minimize the water content in the charging air by
installation of an effective de-mister after the scavenging
air cooler.
 Ensure that free saltwater in the fuel is remove by fuel
treatment.