Japan: Fuels: Diesel Fuel
Background
There are two quality standards for diesel fuels in Japan: a mandatory standard specified in the “Law on the Quality Control of Gasoline and Other Fuels” (“Quality Assurance Law”) and a voluntary Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) K 2204 “Diesel Fuel” [6791][6792].
The Quality Assurance Law provides mandatory requirements for sulfur, cetane index and T90 distillation temperature that diesel fuel must meet. It also includes for reference purposes, a standard diesel fuel specification for viscosity and low temperature operability requirements.
To accommodate biodiesel fuel blends, the Quality Assurance Law has been amended as outlined in the discussion on Japanese biodiesel standards. The amendments, effective March 2007, include limits on the amount of FAME and triglycerides in diesel fuel to distinguish it from a biodiesel/diesel fuel blend and to prevent the use of unprocessed vegetable oils.
Diesel Market Fuel
Fuel grades and specifications as per JIS K 2204 and the Quality Assurance Law are given in Table 1. The required low temperature operability depends on time of year and the geographical area. Therefore, both the “standard diesel fuel” of the Quality Assurance Law and JIS K 2204 recommend a grade of diesel fuel with a maximum low temperature operability limit that should be used for each month of the year in each district in Japan. The low temperature operability properties—cold filter plugging point (CFPP) and pour point—are summarized in Table 2. The low temperature operability properties for the “standard diesel fuel” of the Quality Assurance Law coincide with the values in JIS K 2204 and therefore, the grade numbers of JIS K 2204 are used in Table 2 for convenience.
The low temperature operability requirements in the “standard diesel fuel” of the Quality Assurance Law are based on “typical” climatic conditions. Those for JIS K 2204 are more conservative and are based on extreme low temperatures experienced in the past few decades. Table 1 also lists the minimum expected monthly temperature and the corresponding grade that should be used.
| Fuel Property | Unit | Quality Assurance Law | JIS K2204:2023 | Test | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1S | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3S | ||||
| Cetane Index1, min | 45 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 45 | 45 | JIS K2280 | |
| Sulfur, max | % mass | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | JIS K2541 -1, -2, -6, -47 |
| Distillation, 90% v/v rec., max | °C | 360 | 360 | 360 | 350 | 3302 | 330 | JIS K2254 |
| FAME, max | % mass | 0.13 | ||||||
| Triglycerides, max | % mass | 0.01 | ||||||
| Viscosity @30°C, min | mm2/s | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.7 | JIS K2283 |
| Flash Point4, min | °C | 45 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 45 | 45 | JIS K2265 |
| Pour Point, max | °C | Table 2 | +5 | -2.5 | -7.5 | -20 | -30 | JIS K2269 |
| CFPP, max | °C | Table 2 | - | -1 | -5 | -12 | -19 | JIS K2288 |
| Carbon Residue5, max | % mass | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | JIS K2270 |
| Density @15°C, max | 0.86 | 0.86 | 0.86 | 0.86 | 0.86 | JIS K2249 | ||
| Lowest expected monthly temperature | °C | 5 & above | 0 & -5 | -10 | -15 & -20 | -25 & -30 | ||
| 1 Cetane number may also be used 2 350°C and below when kinematic viscosity (30°C) is 4.7 mm2/s and below 3 FAME >0.1 to ≤5% is allowed if the blend meets additional requirements 4 Pensky-Martens method 5 CCR, from 10% distillation residue |
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Low temperature operability requirements for Japanese diesel fuel are shown in Table 2. For each month, the grade on the left is that recommended by the Quality Assurance Law and the grade on the right is from JIS K 2204:2004.
| District | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido (except Donan) | 3 | 3S | 3 | 3S | 2 | 3S | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Donan area in Hokkaido | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Touhoku | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Chubu | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1S | 3 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 3 |
| Kanto | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Hokuriku | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 |
| Tokai | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 |
| Kinki | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| San-in | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 |
| San-yo | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 2 |
| Shikoku | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 |
| Kyushu | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1 | 1S | 1 |
| Okinawa | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S | 1S |
Certification Fuel
The following table lists diesel fuel specifications for emission testing over the 10-15 mode procedure. The properties of certification fuel correspond to the JIS No. 2 diesel, with sulfur content gradually lowered, as low sulfur fuels become available on the road.
| Fuel Property | Unit | Limit | Test | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min | Max | |||
| Cetane Number | 45 | - | JIS K 2280 | |
| Sulfur | % mass | - | 0.2 | JIS K 2541 |
| Viscosity @40°C | mm2/s | 2.5 | - | JIS K 2283 |
| Flash Point | °C | 50 | - | JIS K 2265 |
| Distillation, 90% v/v rec. | °C | - | 350 | JIS K 2254 |