Cleaner jet fuel resists fungus, but additives bring new risks
Sharin EA, Karpov VA, Semenova TA, Matveeva OA, Krylov VG
Fungal Decomposers
The fungus behind this study, Amorphotheca resinae, is a distant cousin of the mushrooms and molds that break down fallen leaves and wood in your garden compost pile, showing how the same decomposer strategies that build healthy soil can also threaten stored fuel tanks.
Jet fuel sitting in storage tanks can get contaminated by a fungus that literally eats parts of it, causing problems with fuel quality over time. Researchers tested four types of jet fuel made with different refining methods and found that the more thoroughly refined fuels resisted the fungus better, but ironically, those same fuels ended up with other quality issues like increased acidity. They also tested fuel additives meant to fight the fungus and discovered one of them, while good at stopping microbial growth, made the water that collects in fuel tanks more acidic, which could actually cause more metal corrosion.
Key Findings
Susceptibility to fungal biodegradation decreased as fuel refining depth increased, from straight-run to hydrocracked fractions
Microbial activity consistently reduced paraffinic and naphthenic hydrocarbons while increasing aromatic content and lowering sulfur
The antioxidant additive Agidol-1 suppressed microbial growth but dropped aqueous phase pH to about 4, raising corrosion risk; the lubricity additive Unicor J showed a mild protective effect
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists tested how well jet fuel resists fungal contamination and found that more heavily refined fuel resists microbial growth better, but some fuel treatments meant to fight microbes can actually raise corrosion risk instead.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Microbial threats to aviation fuels: susceptibility and biostability studies.
Biodegradation of aviation fuels remains a critical factor during storage and operation, affecting both the composition and performance properties of kerosene fractions. This study aims to establis...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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