• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.113-118
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• 2021

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has confirmed a global limit of 0.5 % for sulfur in fuel oil used on board ships with effect from January 1, 2020. Among various alternatives to respond to these regulations on sulfur content in fuel oil, such as LNG ships, SOx scrubbers, and very-low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). VLSFO is preferred owing to its low investment costs. As more ships are expected to use VLSFO, VLSFO spills are expected to increase. In particular, when the seawater temperature is below the pour point of VLSFO, VLSFO solidifies when it is spilled, which makes controlling spills difficult. In this study, six types of VLSFO produced in Korea and one type of high-sulfur fuel oil (MF380) were compared in terms of the dispersibility of dispersants according to the seawater temperature conditions. The results confirmed that the six type of VLSFO did not satisfy the domestic standards for dispersant rate (60 % or more for 0.5 min, 20 % or more for 10 min). Morever, the dispersant rate of the six types of VLSFO was low compared with that of the high-sulfur fuel oil. The results of this study are expected to be used to set the direction of dispersant control in the case of VLSFO spills.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.864-872
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• 2020

In accordance with the sulfur regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) shows various production-dependent physico-chemical properties. This study aims to use as basic data for oil spill response according to study of physico-chemical characteristics of VLSFO and mixed fuel oil of VLSFO-HSFO. The mixed fuel oil was prepared by mixing 25, 50, 75 mass% of HSFO with VLSFO containing 0.46 and 0.36 mass% of sulfur. The physico-chemical properties such as the kinematic viscosity, pour point and distribution of Saturates, Aromatics, Resins, and Asphaltenes (SARA) were studied in the laboratory. As mixed of 75 mass% of HSFO with high the kinematic viscosity and low pour point in VLSFO, the kinematic viscosity of the mixed fuel oil increased to 350.2 %, and VLSFO with pour point of 23℃ and -11℃ lowered or raised to -3℃ and -6℃ respectively. As HSFO was mixed in VLSFO with a small Asphaltenes distribution, the Saturates distribution decreased to 68.8% and Asphaltenes distribution increased to 1,417 % dramatically.