Fuel Oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation either as a distillate or a residue Broadly speaking oil is any liquid petroleum product which is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power except oils having a flash point of approximately 40 C 104 F Oil is made of long hydrocarbon chains particularly alkanes cycloalkanes and aromatics The term Fuel Oil is also used in a stricter sense to refer only to the heaviest commercial fuel that can be obtained from crude oil heavier than gasoline and naphtha
Fuel oils are used as fuel for power generation marine bunkers and large industrial heating plants Fuel oil 180 CST also known as Bunker Fuel or Residual Fuel Oil is characterized by its viscosity which is measured in centistokes CST The number 180 indicates the maximum viscosity of the oil at 50 degrees Celsius This specification makes it a relatively thick and viscous fuel compared to lighter fuel oils Both CST 180 and CST 380 fuel oils are considered heavy fuel oils and are commonly used in the shipping industry They are often referred to as bunker fuels and are used in vessels like cargo ships container ships and oil tankers
