Monitoring Cat Fines in bunker fuels.

1. Parker Kittiwake CMBU - Cat Fines Test Kit
Hydraulic &
Fuel
Filter
Division
Europe

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Introducing Parker Kittiwake’s new Catalytic Fines Test Kit

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• Hard Ceramic Compounds of Aluminium and Silicon.
• Used as a catalyst in the crude oil refining process.
• To enable higher yield of distillate fuels to be extracted from
the stock.
• The process is called catalytic cracking.
• The cat fines are expensive and are mostly recovered.
• and used again, however small quantities may be carried over
with the residual fuel.
What are CAT Fines?
Catalytic Fines (from here on known a Cat Fines)
Cat Fine embedded in
the wall of a Cylinder
Liner

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NO!
• Up until the 1950’s residual fuel oil was burnt in boilers, to create steam for
turbines, the most common form of marine engine at the time.
• Large slow speed diesel engines slowly became popular in the 1960’s and 70’s
as the ability to burn residual fuels improved.
• 1973 Middle East War tripled the price of crude oil, refiners forced to squeeze
more product from the crude stock.
• Catalytic Cracking processes developed 1980’s engine.
Are Cat Fines a new problem?
Oil fed boilers Modern 2 stroke Marine Diesel Drive to reduce fuel costs

5. The traditional factional distillation
method of separating crude oil into
it’s distillate and residual oil parts
uses heat to bring the stock oil to
the different boiling point
temperatures of the various
distillates.
Another kind of distillation is
Catalytic Cracking. The stock oil is
passed through a rector containing
chemicals (catalysts) in the form of
alumina and silica in a fine powder
under high pressures and
temperatures.
Where do Cat Fines Come from?

6. How big are Cat Fines?
Cat Fines retained by Fuel Filter
25µm Ø

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Or should we ask, how small are Cat Fines?
From 75 μm down to 1 μm
1 μm (micron) =
0.001 mm
25 μm

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The main components affected are:
• Cylinder liners and piston rings
• Can affect fuel pumps, injectors and valves
• In extreme cases piston rods and stuffing
boxes
What do Cat Fines do?
They get embedded into engine components and cause
abrasive wear.
Liner Wall scoring Broken Piston Rings Stuffing Box pushed
out of housing
Cat Fines Embedded
into liner wall

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Why are Cylinder Liners Vulnerable to Cat Fines?
Lube Oil Film

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Cat fine damage mainly occurs in large slow speed main engines: Why?
• The larger fuel injection components allow sizeable cat fine particles into the
cylinders
• Cylinder lubricating oil is minimally applied to the liner surface, and doesn’t
wash cat fines away
Less probable to find cat fine damage to medium and high speed
engines: Why?
• More copious splash lubrication of cylinder liners can wash away cat fine
particles.
• Closer tolerance of components prevents ingress of larger particles.
Are all engines at risk?

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Why the increase in Cat Fine Claims?
Environmental Legislation
• Sulphur Emission Control Areas (ECAs)
Commercial Demands:
• Cheaper fuels

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Emission Control Areas (ECA’s)
Also Important for Exhaust Emission Monitoring! (CEMS)

13. ISO specification outline bunker fuel quality
on a variety of parameters. The latest
specifications, ISO 8217 : 2012 gives the
maximum Cat Fines level as 60mg per kg
(ppm) of fuel.
As a guide, the industry standard for many
engine builders recommend a maximum
limit of 7 to 15mg per kg.
There is obviously a gap!
Fuel can pass the ISO bunker specification
but can still be potentially very damaging to
an engine.
What are the acceptable levels of Cat Fines in Fuel
ISO 8217:2012
60 PPM Limit

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So, what is the problem?
The problems are many, but not limited to:
• Poor efficiency purifiers (essential part of the on-board fuel treatment plant
and a topic on it’s own)
• Lack of knowledge of the current bunker fuel quality by the ships engineers
• Lack of good maintenance practices, such as regular cleaning of fuel tanks
• Minimal and insufficient capacity of purifiers provided by the shipyard during
the build

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• Very Little, until test results, if samples have been taken, are received back
on-board. You can’t tell if there are small particles by touch or visual
inspection.
• If not tested, the ships engineers must assume that the fuel they are using
contains high level of Cat Fines.
• Filtration and purification systems must be fitted, properly maintained and
operated.
• Typical nominal filtration starts at 50µm. Could be 25µm. Note: Cat Fines
can be as small as 1µm.
• Utilising on-board Cat Fine test/analysis equipment should be mandated.
• Continuous monitoring of cylinder scrape down oil for elevated levels of
ferrous debris
What can be done?

16. Costs relating to Cat Fines damage can be significant depending on a
wide range of factors.
If we consider a vessel fitted with a single 30,000bhp slow speed
diesel requiring the following repairs due to Cat Fines:
Replacement pistons, piston rings, cylinder liners, fuel pumps and
having cylinders heads and the turbo charger overhauled.
We are looking at a repair costs of somewhere in the region of
US$700,000 to US$1,000,000 – before any auxiliary engine damage
repairs.
If I have a Cat Fine problem, what could it cost me?

17. Until recently, the detection of Cat Fines was reliant on fuel samples
collected at the time of bunkering, being analysed at a Lab or
purchasing very expensive XRF for onboard analysis.
Is there an early detection system for identifying Cat Fines?
Alternatively, having detected high levels of mechanical wear as a result of bench
top equipment such at the Kittiwake FWM or the online system, LinerScan,
visual magnified inspection, will identify the problem, which most likely will be too
late!
25 μm

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Bunkers must be tested and results received and analysed BEFORE they are
consumed on board. This requires effective bunker management procedures.
A Ships crew now has the ability to test the bunker before they take receipt using
the Parker Kittiwake Cat Fines Test Kit
Is there an early detection system for identifying Cat Fines?
Key benefits
• Low cost
• Simple to use
• Onboard usage
• No installation required
• Compact, lightweight and portable
• Rapid (20 mins)

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Parker Kittiwake Cat Fines Test Kit – FG-K30566-KW

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Parker Kittiwake Cat Fines Test Kit – FG-K30566-KW
Step by Step Guide

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Parker Kittiwake Cat Fines Test Kit – FG-K30566-KW
Result Interpretation
50ppm 100ppm 200ppm

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Parker Kittiwake Cat Fines Test Kit – FG-K30566-KW
For more information, go to: www.kittiwake.com
Email:kittiwakeinfo@parker.com