Topic summary
Bunker fuel
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Heavy fuel oil.
Heavy fuel oil (HFO) is a fuel oil of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel or residual fuel oil, HFO is the residual mixture left over from the distillation and cracking of crude oil in oil refineries. Generally, it has a boiling temperature between 350 and 500°C and is significantly more viscous than diesel fuel. As it is created through the extraction of more valuable components of its petroleum precursor, HFO contains various undesirable compounds and elements, which include aromatics, sulfur, nitrogen, vanadium, and others. These non-hydrocarbon contaminants significantly increase toxic gas and particulate emissions upon combustion, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides.