“Which diesel is better, s10 or s500?”, “What are the advantages of Diesel Oil s10 over regular Diesel?”, “Can I use Diesel Oil s10 in my vehicle?”. In the following reading, you will find the answers to these and other questions, in addition to several important pieces of information related to Diesel Oil s10. Data will also be presented on other types of fuel, such as Diesel s500 and Biodiesel (read the full article on Biodiesel by clicking here).

There are many factors that influence the price of Diesel until it reaches the fuel pump at gas stations. Currently, the price of Diesel s10 is divided as follows: approximately 21% of the price of Diesel s10 corresponds to state taxes (ICMS) and federal taxes (Cide, PIS/Pasep and Cofins), another 12% of the value relates to the addition of Biodiesel (regulated by Law No. 13,263, of March 23, 2016), 13% of the value is linked to distribution and resale, and the remaining 54% relates to production by Petrobras or the cost of imported products.

Many consumers, when faced with high diesel prices, tend to blame the taxes collected by the government. Of course, taxes represent a large portion of the price of fuel, however, diesel consumers who want to know why the price of fuel is a certain way should pay particular attention to the International Parity Price, also known as PPI, adopted by the Brazilian government in 2016.

In short, the PPI represents the price of fuel offered by Petrobras so that the value is on par with the international price reference, with the Brazilian oil company no longer being solely responsible for determining the amount. To make it easier to understand, imagine that the PPI represents the price of fuel in Brazil if all of its amount came from imports. Therefore, three main points are considered to indicate the value of fuel in Brazil:

1- International price of a barrel of oil (in Reais)

This point is very important to determine the value of diesel oil in Brazil, as it takes into account the exchange rate, that is, the more devalued the Brazilian Real is, the more expensive the fuel will be in Brazil.

2- Transportation costs

Importers need to distribute fuel in their specific regions, so there is also a cost of importing/exporting the fuel.

3- Supplier margin

The company producing the fuel still needs its profits. Therefore, a percentage of the value is also related to this purpose.

Differences between s10 Diesel Oil and regular Diesel Oil

When it comes to Diesel Oil, questions like “Which diesel is better, s10 or s500?”, “What are the advantages of s10 Diesel Oil over regular Diesel?”, “Can I use s10 Diesel Oil in my vehicle?” are frequent. So, we have separated the main differences between s10 Diesel Oil and s500 Diesel Oil, and you can check them out below.

First, to understand the main difference between the two types of Diesel in question, it is necessary to know that the combustion of Diesel Oil (both s10 and s500) is responsible for a large emission of polluting particles into the environment, such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Hydrocarbons (CHx), among others. Furthermore, during the combustion of Diesel Oil, microparticles of Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Sulfur (S), and others are also released.

The s10 that accompanies Diesel Oil refers to the quantity of sulfur particles contained in one million parts of the fuel, which in this case represents 10 parts per million (10 PPM), while Diesel Oil s500, as you can imagine, has a rate of 500 Sulfur particles per million (500 PPM), a number considerably higher than that of Diesel s10.

To better understand what parts per million mean, imagine that in a Ton of Diesel Oil, one gram of this quantity represents one part, or for every 1000m³ of Oil, 1 Liter corresponds to one part. In the case of regular Diesel Oil, for every 1000m³ 500L are Sulfur particles, while in S10 Diesel Oil, for every 1000m³, 10L are Sulfur particles, a notably smaller number, which is the main advantage of S10 Diesel Oil over S500 Diesel Oil.

Is it possible to mix S10 Diesel Oil with regular Diesel?

Despite having a slightly higher price, the benefits of using S10 Diesel Oil instead of S500 are extremely advantageous. But is it possible to mix both fuels in the same engine?

The truth is that S10 Diesel oil began to be used in vehicles with Diesel engines manufactured after January 2012, that is, vehicles manufactured before that date are those that use S500 Diesel.

Although it is not recommended, there is nothing that prevents older engines from using S10 Diesel as fuel, but it is necessary to keep in mind that engines manufactured before 2012 were prepared to burn S500 Diesel, which has different properties and lubrication rates than S10. If you want to use S10 Diesel oil in an engine manufactured before 2012, it is important that you consult a mechanical specialist to check whether any adaptations to the engine technology are necessary.

Conversely, using S500 Diesel in engines prepared to run on S10 Diesel oil not only causes engine problems, but is also considered an environmental crime, according to standards defined by the National Environmental Council (Conama). The components present in S500 Diesel Oil can corrode internal engine parts that are not prepared to burn this fuel.

Which vehicles can use S10 diesel oil?

Although the price of Diesel Oil in Brazil has increased recently, this fuel continues to be cheaper than Gasoline, which leads to the following question: “Why can’t cars in Brazil use Diesel?”.

In reality, very few passenger cars can use Diesel engines in Brazil. This is due to Ordinance No. 346, of November 19, 1976, defined by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MIC), which prohibits the sale of commercial vehicles powered by Diesel. This ordinance was established after the Oil Crisis in 1975, and aimed to reduce the use of oil.

Nowadays, only trucks, buses and pickups with a payload of over 1,000 kg and utility vehicles with 4×4 and reduced traction can use these engines. Furthermore, it is important to remember that the use of s500 Diesel Oil is exclusive to Diesel engines manufactured before January 2012, and that for engines manufactured before that date it is recommended that they stick to s500 Diesel Oil.

Do you have any suggestions or questions? Send us a message and we will be happy to answer!