Abrasive Reality: How Elevated Catfines Can Damage Marine Engines

AI Summary

The presence of abrasive 'catfines' in marine fuel poses a significant threat to the integrity of vessel engines. The article discusses how these catfines originate from oil refineries and their detrimental effects on marine operations.

A common concern of maritime chief engineers, regarding vessel engine damages, is the presence of highly abrasive “catfines” within marine fuel. To fully understand the seriousness of this issue, we first need to understand the source of the problem. Oil refineries use catalysts in their Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units (FCCU) or “Cat Plants” to process ...