Fuel & Refinery Additives

No. CheMost supplies bulk additive components to fuel blenders, refineries and storage terminals — the chemistry that goes into a fuel at the terminal, dosed at parts per million, before it reaches the pump. The injector cleaners, gas treatments and diesel anti-gel bottles sold at parts stores and supermarkets are a different, consumer product poured into your own tank. Our materials ship in drums and IBCs for industrial blending, with TDS, SDS and COA — not single-use bottles. If you are a blender or terminal building a treated fuel, this is the right range; if you want a bottle for your own vehicle, a retail brand is what you are looking for.

Cold-flow improvers are long-chain copolymers (typically ethylene-vinyl acetate or polyacrylate) that co-crystallise with the wax fraction in diesel as temperature drops, altering wax morphology from large platelets (which interlock and block filters) into smaller, dispersible crystals. The key constraint is that CFI response is highly specific to the base fuel’s wax: the carbon-chain length of the paraffin, its concentration and the fuel’s T90 all affect which polymer gives the best response. A CFI that achieves −20°C CFPP in one fuel may achieve only −10°C in a different refinery cut at the same treat rate — that is the fundamental chemistry of wax modification, not a poor additive. Testing in your actual base fuel before commercial adoption is the only reliable way to establish treat rate.

They address entirely different failure mechanisms. A fuel antioxidant (hindered phenolic such as BHT, or an aminic type) interrupts the free-radical chain of hydrocarbon oxidation — preventing gum, peroxide accumulation and colour degradation in storage. It has no effect on cold flow. A pour-point depressant (PMA or OCP polymer) modifies wax-crystal growth to prevent gelation at low temperature — it has no effect on oxidation stability. FAME biodiesel blends are vulnerable to both (they oxidise faster and can have worse cold flow than the base diesel), so both additive types are commonly required and are fully compatible in the fuel matrix.

FAME biodiesel has a different wax composition than mineral diesel. FAME wax is saturated fatty-acid methyl esters (mainly C16:0 and C18:0 from palm, soy or rapeseed) rather than linear-alkane paraffins, so it crystallises at different temperatures and morphology. Mineral-diesel CFI chemistry, optimised for alkane wax, often shows reduced effectiveness in FAME blends. Feedstock matters too: palm-based FAME has high palmitate and poor cold flow; rapeseed FAME (European B7) is better; HVO renewable diesel behaves more like mineral paraffins. Cold-flow selection for biodiesel therefore requires knowing both the FAME source and the blend ratio, not just the target CFPP.

A complete fuel additive package can include cetane improver (2-ethylhexyl nitrate, for combustion), lubricity additive (fatty-acid or ester chemistry, to restore the lubricity stripped out of ultra-low-sulfur diesel) and detergent / deposit-control chemistry for injector cleanliness. CheMost’s own manufactured fuel range is focused on cold-flow, oxidation stability, corrosion and metal deactivation. For cetane, lubricity and detergency we advise on selection and can supply through qualified sourcing where it fits — and we state clearly which items are CheMost-manufactured and which are sourced, as we do across the specialty range. Tell us the full additive package you need and we’ll scope what we make versus source.

Every commercial shipment is supported by a TDS (chemical identification, physical properties, available performance data); a GHS-compliant SDS (handling, transport classification, regulatory compliance); a per-batch COA confirming active content and key parameters; and a Certificate of Origin for customs. For components classified as dangerous goods, IMDG or IATA documentation is prepared for sea or air freight, and HS-code information is provided. Available bench data (CFPP response curves, Rancimat results, ASTM D130 copper corrosion) can be provided on request for qualifying components during evaluation.

Standard stocked components (antioxidants, pour-point depressants, rust inhibitors) ship within 7–14 business days of order confirmation; cold-flow improvers within 14–21 days for standard grades. Minimum order is typically 200 kg (one drum) for most liquid components; IBC (1,000 kg) minimums apply to some bulk grades. Free 1–5 kg trial samples are available for qualified evaluation. Seasonal demand (pre-winter cold-flow orders in October–November) can affect CFI lead times — order early. Contact sales with the product, quantity, destination port and timeline for a specific confirmation.