There are several types of diesel fuels on the market. Blue diesel is used in government vehicles, while red-dyed diesel fuel is used in agricultural vehicles and construction machines. The main reason for dying diesel is to identify the fuel sold at the undervalued price. Also, dying diesel is done to identify the fuel for taxation purposes easily and is done in many countries.
But, is there a way to get red dye out of diesel fuel? The best way to turn the red to normal diesel is with the help of the fuel filtration column. Also, using a cat litter and activated carbon system shows good results. Before doing so, you should know that this diesel is not meant for commercial truck use.
Before adding red diesel to your car, you should know it is a criminal offense. This fuel is cheaper and not meant for public road use. Inspectors often check vehicles for red fuel and charge fines for any illegal use. The ticket can go as $10 per gallon of red diesel solution.
Understanding the Different Methods to Get Red Dye Out of Diesel Fuel
Different methods can help you to solve the red dye diesel fuel problem. These methods are divided into chemical and natural methods. Chemical methods include different chemical compounds and bleaches.
Natural methods are based on natural products like granulated activated carbon, cat litter, or fuel filtration column.
There are also miscellaneous options like using a reverse osmosis system. This option is a bit pricier to maintain and operate. But, it showed great overall results in regulating dyed diesel fuel.
Chemical Methods to Remove Red Dye from Diesel Fuel
Using chemical methods is riskier to conduct, but all in all, they are reliable. Just be sure to store and utilize the chemicals correctly. Besides the chemicals, mixing the fuel dye can be done with bleach. It requires using a mixer and a filter, but you end up with a regular diesel color.
Natural Methods to Remove Red Dye from Diesel Fuel
These methods are popular because they are easy to access. These methods focus on filtering the red-dyed diesel with the help of different filters. The most popular filters are granulated activated carbon and charcoal. They absorb the red dye and leave the standard diesel.
Mechanical Methods to Remove Red Dye from Diesel Fuel
A reverse osmosis system is an expensive but effective system for removing dyed red from diesel. You need an RO system, a clean container, and a funnel for this method.
How to Get Red Dye Out of Diesel Fuel Using Chemical Methods
Several chemicals work as bleaching agents for red-colored diesel. These methods showed good results, and the only downside is safety issues.
List of Chemicals that Can Remove Red Dye from Diesel Fuel
- Tartrazine
- Phosphoric acid
- Dilute Hydrochloric
- Sodium Hydroxide
- Chlorine
Steps to Use Chemical Methods for Red Dye Removal from Diesel Fuel
Using these chemicals is fairly easy. They are bottled and added directly to the fuel. Tartrazine is used for cleaning contaminated water but can also be used for cleaning diesel dye. Using the rest of these chemicals will also solve this problem.
If you are using bleach like chlorine, there is a step-by-step process that needs to be followed:
- Get 2 large glass bowls
- Get a bleaching agent like chlorine
- Find a filter (a cotton filter will work)
- Acquire a mixer.
The process itself is easy:
- Pour the diesel into the glass bowl
- Add the bleach (250ml per 1000 liters of diesel)
- Mix with the mixer
- Pour through the filter.
Precautions to Take When Using Chemical Methods to Remove Red Dye from Diesel Fuel
Using chemicals is always a risk. There are different fumes and risks of splashes. That is why we recommend using all the safety equipment, including gloves and goggles. All the chemicals need to be safely stored in the original package.
How to Get Red Dye Out of Diesel Fuel Using Natural Methods
Using natural methods is the safest way to get red diesel dye out of the fuel. There are different methods you can try, from using cat litter to activated carbon. All these elements are used in the form of a filter. Diesel is poured through the filter and cleaned.
List of Natural Substances that Can Remove Red Dye from Diesel Fuel
- Charcoal
- Granulated activated carbon
- Cat litter
Any of these materials are regularly used for this purpose, but carbon is recommended.
Steps to Use Natural Methods for Red Dye Removal from Diesel Fuel
If you are using charcoal or carbon, you will need to make a filter system:
- A container of carbon or charcoal
- A funnel
- Filter made of cloth or a coffee filter
- A clean gas can
When you got all these elements, you can start the filtering process:
- Pour the carbon or charcoal into the funnel
- Place the filter over the opening of the can you will use for storing diesel
- Slowly pour the diesel over the filter and into the can
- Filter all the diesel
You can use either charcoal or carbon. Carbon is essentially charcoal treated with oxygen making it extra porous. This way, the carbon can absorb and clear all the impurities from the solutions.
Using cat litter to clear the red dye can only be applied as an emergency method. It is not well-proven and is not as capable as other methods. The litter method is the same as for carbon and charcoal.
Check Out Diesel Fuel – Pigment Removal (chemical bleaching):
Precautions to Take When Using Natural Methods to Remove Red Dye From Diesel Fuel
Due to being natural, these methods are the safest on the list. There are no hazardous fumes and chemicals to watch out for.
Pro Tip: When filtering, try to keep diesel pouring into the can as much as possible.
How to Get Red Dye Out of Diesel Fuel Using Mechanical Methods
A reverse osmosis system is one of the best methods to remove dye from off-road diesel. It is also a filter system that uses a permeable membrane to clean the dye from the fuel.
Steps to Use Mechanical Methods for Red Dye Removal from Diesel Fuel
This process is slightly different from the rest of the filtering process because the RO system has a reservoir. You will still need a clean container and a funnel, to begin with.
- Pour the red-dyed diesel into the reservoir
- Turn the system on and let the purification process begin
- Transfer the clean diesel with a funnel to a clean container
- Check the manual for RO for removing built-up red dye waste from the system.
Precautions to Take When Using Mechanical Methods to Remove Red Dye From Diesel Fuel
These systems can be sensitive, so monitor their work. Also, don’t leave the buildup in the RO system because it will shorten its life.
How to Get Red Dye Out of Diesel Fuel: FAQs
Can Ordinary Diesel and Off-Road Diesel Be Combined?
There are no issues with mixing the red and regular diesel. The red-dyed diesel only has higher sulfur content, but that is not a problem.
How Should I Manage the Off-Road Diesel that I Accidently Put in a Truck?
The only and best way to remove any off-road diesel is to use it. It will not harm your truck, but you still need to use as much before refilling with diesel for regular vehicles.
How Long Does Red Diesel Stay in Your Tank?
You can freely add standard diesel as soon as you use up all the red diesel. It will not mix any red fuel remains into the regular diesel.
Final Considerations
If you accidentally added some red diesel as a regular road fuel or want to save some money, you should consider removing the red dye. There are several different methods to do this.
You can try using some chemical-backed methods, like bleaches, or some other chemical, like Sodium Hydroxide. If you don’t want to mess with chemical compounds, there are natural ways to remove the red dye. The most effective is carbon, but there is also charcoal, or using a reverse osmosis system.
Either way, you do it, check the results, and see if the diesel is now clean. Fees for using red diesel are not to be reckoned with, so try to avoid that problem.
