Asia/Pacific News
Japan's First Antioxidant for Marine Biofuel Developed by NYK
Nippon Yuka Kogyo, the chemical R&D arm of the NYK Group, has introduced BioxiGuard, Japan's first antioxidant developed specifically to address oxidation issues in marine biofuel blends.
With biofuels gaining momentum in the maritime industry, NYK notes that one of their key drawbacks is a higher tendency to oxidise compared to conventional marine fuels.
This is due to the greater presence of unsaturated fatty acids, which makes biofuels more vulnerable to oxidative degradation, the firm said in a statement on its website on Wednesday.
Once oxidised, biofuel can form acidic compounds and sludge, reducing calorific value and harming vessel performance. It can also lead to operational problems such as metal corrosion, strainer blockage, and fouling of cleaning systems.
BioxiGuard tackles this challenge by significantly slowing the oxidation process.
In lab tests, the antioxidant was able to cut the rate of biofuel degradation by nearly 50% compared to untreated fuels.
"This significant improvement underscores the potential for vessel operators to not only extend the useful life of biofuel on board but also maintain more stable and cost-effective vessel operations," NYK said.
The product will be commercially available from August 10.
