Petrol launches new, even more powerful Q Max propellants
Petrol is today launching a renewed family of high-quality additive fuels from the Q Max family. The redesign is aimed at adapting the quality of the fuels to the requirements and challenges of modern engine technologies as well as to new developments in the field of fuel additives. The redesign has been carried out in cooperation with Afton Chemical, with which Petrol has been working since 2007. The redesigned Q Max fuels are available to customers in all markets where Petrol has a presence with its own sales outlets.
The engines of our loyal life companions are constantly changing. Their development in recent years has been increasingly dictated by legislative requirements and constraints, and of course fuels have to adapt to them too, in order to keep pace with the objective of reducing the impact that fuel use can have on our living environment in the first place. The new generations of modern petrol and diesel engines therefore require modern fuels, and their development must in particular follow the following guidelines:
• reducing consumption and increasing energy efficiency,
• ensuring that the engine maintains unchanged operating conditions; and
• reducing emissions and the negative impact of fuel use on the environment.
It is very important for the efficiency of the engine that the conditions during operation vary as little as possible. This is because changes in condition occur due to high temperatures and engine loads, and can also be influenced by the nature and quality of the fuel itself. If all processes in the engine and associated equipment are to run smoothly and optimally, the condition that the manufacturer intended when designing the new engine must be maintained as far as possible. This was one of the key challenges of the redesign of the Q Max family of fuels. With the new innovative and even improved Dual Action technology, developed by Afton Chemical in the UK, which combines an intelligent molecular structure of additives, it ensures a near-perfect cleaning and protection effect. The result is rapid adjustment and recovery, restoring optimum conditions in the engine, thus achieving maximum available power and engine responsiveness. The protective effect of the additive ensures that these engine capabilities are maintained throughout the engine’s operating life, which means that the power and other characteristics that the engine is capable of delivering are always available, depending on its technological design. But that’s not all – fuel consumption and emissions of harmful combustion products are also reduced, and reliability and driving economy are improved.
In addition, new features such as full valve/injector jam protection and significantly improved protection against wear and corrosion of surfaces have been added to the redesigned Q Max fuels. The propellant formulation has been tested and is fully compatible with all modern exhaust after-treatment systems fitted to vehicles today, as well as with all types of biofuels they may contain.
Cleaning technology – “Dual Action technology”
Engine components are subject to the formation of highly viscous and solid deposits due to high temperatures, natural fuel properties and external influences. These lead to altered conditions that affect all key processes in the engine. All of this translates into a loss of power and acceleration, increased fuel consumption and higher levels of emissions released into the environment. Ultimately, more serious engine damage can occur.
Afton Chemical has therefore developed a special improved engine surface cleaning and protection formula based on the so-called “Dual Action technology”, a unique approach where a unique and intelligent action of molecules achieves a double effect – cleaning the surface of existing deposits while also protecting them from the formation of new ones.
With effective cleaning and protection, all these unwanted processes in the engine can be significantly slowed down or almost completely avoided. This means achieving conditions where engine power and responsiveness are maximised and reliability is increased, thus increasing the efficiency and economy of the vehicle.
Testing of fuels
All fuels in the Q Max range are tested in established international engine and field tests, under a wide range of conditions and operating regimes. They have verified and proven the effects resulting from the composition of the fuel itself, in synergy with the selected package of additives they contain. They have an impact on key engine performance parameters such as power, acceleration and responsiveness, protection and lifetime of engine components and fuel consumption. Very importantly, this also reduces all forms of negative impacts that the use of internal combustion engines can have on the environment and, consequently, on climate change.
“Vehicle manufacturers design their engines to meet European emission control requirements and recognise the need to control deposition to allow their vehicles to continue to operate according to their design specifications. At this point, Afton Chemical’s latest technology is essential to meet these stringent requirements”, said David Claydon, Senior Technical Advisor at Afton Chemical, adding, “We have been supplying high-performance additives to Petrol to increase the efficiency of petrol and diesel for over a decade. Afton’s fuel additives are rigorously tested and manufactured to meet the stringent requirements of industry, governments, OEMs and individual customers. We are proud of our long-standing relationship with Petrol and look forward to continuing to work together to provide the best fuel for Petrol customers and their vehicles.”
A comprehensive fuel quality control system
All Q Max fuels undergo a complex quality control system on their way to the end customer. This includes checkpoints at all key points along the supply chain, and is overseen by a trained and highly competent team of experts in the Petrol Petroleum Laboratory, which operates under the authority of a national accreditation body, so that the results of the checks are always unquestionably reliable. Petrol’s quality control system also includes checks by accredited independent external institutions, internationally recognised inspection houses and accredited external laboratories.
“Establishing and ensuring the quality and safety of fuels is an integrated process involving a number of Petrol areas and colleagues with a wide range of competences. As Petrol does not have its own production capacity, we are in a specific position compared to other major competitors Procurement sources are therefore a very sensitive area and need to be evaluated at all times. We regularly update our fuel purchasing specifications, which are fully compliant with EU and national regulations. Particular care and control is given to the logistics chain, from the tanker terminal to the point of sale, both to the end customer and to wholesale customers. Thus, in the quality control of the Q Max family of fuels, they demonstrate all the effects promised on key engine parameters while reducing environmental impacts”, adds Marta Svoljšak Jerman, PhD in Chemical Sciences, Petrol’s Director of Sustainability, Quality and Safety, and confirms about the revamped Q Max fuels.
The revamped Q Max fuels are now available at all Petrol outlets in Slovenia (318 outlets), Croatia (110), Bosnia and Herzegovina (42) and Montenegro (15) at the same price, which means more added value for customers as they will now be able to drive longer distances with the revamped Q Max fuels, while also protecting their car’s engine and reducing emissions into the environment.
Jože Smolič, Member of the Management Board of Petrol, on the renewed Q Max fuels: “In line with our commitment in our strategy until 2025, we strive to offer our customers the highest quality, while also respecting the highest environmental standards. Working closely with Afton Chemical in the UK, we have been able to further improve our Petrol Q Max range of fuels to offer our customers the best quality energy for their vehicles. As we are also committed to environmental awareness, we are proud that our reformulated fuels produce even fewer emissions of nitrogen oxides, greenhouse gases and particulate matter than before. We are confident that customers will appreciate the quality and all the proven benefits of the redesigned Petrol Q Max fuels.”