Characterization of number 10 lubes used as alternative diesel fuel by thermal analysis/fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique

Petroleum has become a crucial product in countries due to increasing market price and the need to use as a raw material for energy. Number 10 lube (NTL), thought to be unique to Turkey, is basically a type of base oil mixture which is mostly used in transportation sector. However, in the market, some oil products or wastes like waste motor oil, waste oil, unprocessed raw oil, illegal oil, vegetable oil, solvent, transformer oil and refined waste oil is thought to be mixed with base oil and labeled as NTL. In this study, the problem that may arise from the widespread usage of NTL in transportation sector is evaluated of which elemental and proximate analysis are used to determine the basic components. In addition to these analyses, combustion behavior and functional groups in combustion products are determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR). Results showed that the generic fuel being used with or in lieu of diesel was found to have different component and combustion behavior than diesel. For this reason, it would cause various problems in fuel system when preferred in diesel engines. Moreover, the negative impact of emissions released from the use of such fuels on public health is unavoidable.