1. What is S500 Diesel Oil:

Although currently when we talk about Diesel the main subjects are related to S10 Diesel Oil – and this is due to the great benefits resulting from its use (read our article on S10 Diesel Oil by clicking here) – S500 Diesel Oil is still the best known, it is not for nothing that it is popularly called “Common Diesel”.

Diesel Oil S500, like Diesel Oil S10, is a fossil fuel, that is, derived from petroleum. Therefore, it is not a renewable fuel, but its use continues to be high today. Diesel Oil S500 is a simpler fuel than S10, has a reddish color and no additives added to its original composition. Its name “s500” refers to the amount of sulfur particles emitted per million of this fuel. To make it clearer:

“S” is the letter representing sulfur in the periodic table and “500” are the particles emitted per million of this fuel (imagine an amount of 500 mg of sulfur for every 1 kg of fuel). At first this value seems low, however when compared to Diesel Oil S10 (which emits 10 mg of sulfur per kilo of fuel) the number becomes much higher.

When s500 Diesel Oil is burned, gases and particles that are harmful to the environment are emitted, including pollutant gases responsible for the greenhouse effect. There are already measures in place to reduce the amount of pollutant gases emitted by the combustion of Diesel Oil. One of these is the PNPB (Biodiesel Production and Use Program), which aims to determine a minimum amount of Biodiesel required in the composition of Diesel Oil, both s10 and s500. You can read more about Biodiesel by clicking here.

2. Use of s500 Diesel Oil today

S500 Diesel Oil should only be used in Diesel engines manufactured before 2012. From that date onwards, new Diesel engines began to use S10. This change is mainly due to the positive result brought about by the reduction of sulfur particles present in Diesel s10, which, in addition to environmental benefits, also provides benefits to human health, a subject that will be discussed in more detail at the end of the article.

The use of Diesel S500 can cause several problems if used in newer engines. Among these, the main ones are:

3. Influence on engine performance

Diesel oil, whatever it may be, has a quantity of Cetane (Chemical Hydrocarbon) involved in its composition. The greater the quantity of this material present in the mixture, the easier the engine has during Ignition and Combustion. Diesel Oil S500 has a lower Cetane rate than Diesel Oil S10. Therefore, the use of s500 instead of s10 in newer engines can cause damage to the engine technology, in addition to hindering its momentary operation.

4. Engine Quality and Durability

As already mentioned, S500 Diesel Oil has a much higher percentage of sulfur in its composition than S10 Diesel Oil. The amount of sulfur present in S500 can corrode the parts of an engine prepared to withstand S10. In addition, excess sulfur can also cause the catalyst filter to become clogged, causing failures and even engine shutdown.

5. Using S500 Diesel Oil in engines manufactured after 2012

Not only can it cause irreparable damage to the vehicle’s engine, it is also considered an environmental crime. Article 54 of Law 9.605 of 1998 defines such an act as a crime, and the fine follows the legislation defined by the National Environmental Council (Conama), and the individual caught in the act can be sentenced to 1 to 4 years in prison, which will be forwarded by the Civil Police.

Therefore, the use of S500 Diesel Oil today is exclusively for engines manufactured before 2012.

6. Some specifications of S500 Diesel Oil by the ANP:

The National Petroleum Agency (ANP) is primarily responsible for regulating and monitoring the sale and use of S500 Diesel Oil, as well as other fuels. This part of the article shows some interesting facts related to Diesel Oil S500 contained in ANP Resolution No. 50 of 2013.

Before focusing on the resolution, it is interesting to understand the difference between what is called Diesel Oil A and Diesel Oil B.

Some of the interesting facts that can be found in the resolution:

Art. 3º For the purposes of this Resolution, it is established that diesel oils A and B must have the following nomenclatures, according to the maximum sulfur content:

II – Diesel oil A S500 and B S500: fuels with a maximum sulfur content of 500 mg/kg.

Art. 12. Diesel oil S500 must contain red dye, as specified in Table III of the Technical Regulation, an integral part of this Resolution.

4º Producers or importers may only deliver diesel oil A S500 to the distributor with added red dye.

For S500 diesel oil, the concentration of additive added must be stated in the Quality Certificate.

Want more information about the resolution? Read the full text here.

7. Is S500 Diesel Oil harmful to health?

The answer is yes, burning Diesel Oil is up to seven times more harmful to human health than burning gasoline. The combustion of S500 Diesel Oil is responsible for the emission of several gases that are harmful to health, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). High exposure to the combustion of S500 Diesel Oil can cause:

In less severe cases: dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, chemical pneumonia, among others.

Chronic exposure to these gases can cause: Cardiovascular diseases, tremors and, in the worst cases, even lung cancer. There are studies that say that frequent exposure to gases emitted by burning S500 can also cause bladder cancer.

Therefore, it is clear that Diesel Oil s500 is still very important today, considering that a good portion of Diesel engines that are in operation were manufactured before 2012. However, in terms of health and the environment, Diesel s500 not only loses value, but also proves to be extremely harmful.