Oil has remained to be one of the major commodities used in the world for various purposes but mainly for energy purposes. The United States is the leading producer and consumer of oil and oil products, currently with an 18% market share worldwide. This is a huge percentage and shows that there is increased usage of oil and oil products currently despite the emergence of alternative energy sources.
As a manufacturing company operations manager, you know that light grade oil plays a significant role in the growth and development of your company. Therefore, you have to make sure that your supplier adheres to specific quality needs when you are selecting light grade oils and other oils. Some of the specific quality details that you should consider have been discussed below.
Oil Grade
Many people don’t have information about oil grades. However, there are two major grades incorporated in the oil industry and determine the quality and density of the oil. There are light and heavy grade oils that are highly considered in the oil markets.
However, light grade oil is more popular because it flows smoothly due to low viscosity and low density. Additionally, it is easier to separate the constituents of light grade oil through fractional distillation.
Sulfur Content
Sulfur is one of the major chemical components in crude oil. It is a chemical impurity that plays a vital role in determining the quality of the oil. High sulfur presence in any oil product increases the number of chemical compounds in that oil. For example, the presence of sulfur means a high presence of pyrite, which is a compound formed by the reaction between sulfur and iron.
Increased sulfur compounds mean that the overall structure of chevron base oil or mineral oil is affected. Therefore, it is important to consider oil with low sulfur content. Light grade oil is known to have very low sulfur content.
Total Acid Count
Oil is a neutral product that does not exhibit acidic or basic properties. However, depending on oil formation and the specific composition of crude oil, sometimes acidic properties are detected. Although acidity of oil might be removed, there is a high chance that many oil users will not purchase oil that has high acidity.
Food grade white oils and other white mineral oils that are used in the manufacture of food and pharmaceutical products will not prefer oil with low pH due to its corrosiveness. Every time you receive oil, especially light grade oil, consider analyzing its constituents to avoid buying oil with high acidity.
Tan Content
The complexity of buying oil is made much difficult by the issue of tan content. Tan is a physical product that has very little chemical properties and mostly used for sealing and road construction. It is a by-product of crude oil. In a manufacturing company that heavily relies on light grade oil, tan is a product that will not be required.
As highlighted earlier, one of the most important characteristics of light grade oil is that it has very low viscosity and density. With such physical properties, it is difficult to support the attributes of tan, which has very high viscosity and density.
Physical Oil Quality
Acidity and sulfur content are chemical properties that a manufacturing company should analyze before purchasing light grade oil. However, other important physical properties have significant impacts. Physical quality of oil includes oil color and the presence of foreign materials. Your light grade oil should have attractive color while at the same time being free from debris, solid particles, and any other foreign material that may affect the physical quality of the oil.
Light grade oil is one of the most used and highly preferred oil grades. It has some physical and chemical properties that make it the best oil grade for manufacturing purposes. However, due to heavy market involvement, it is important to analyze the quality of oil using the strategies discussed above.
