Just seen a post about cat litter on Facebook, then found this….. who knew you could filter the dye out lol
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Forget all those fanciful tales of pouring it through fuller's earth to remove the dye, it's just not true. What they actually use is Oleum (fuming sulphuric acid) & cat litter (the active ingredient contained in it, that neutralises the smell of cat urine also does wonders at removing dye), lime or cement powder,then filter it again thru cotton wool or a one micron industrial steam filter. This not only strips the dye but also all of the lubricity agents and all the other additives that are added to DERV, anti-wax & anti-foam. The resultant toxic sludge is then dumped at the side of the road, with all the resulting environmental impacts. Oh...and because red diesel has a different SG to DERV, the hygrometer trick still works equally as well. Most HM C&E roadside testing (dipping) used to be done with a clear squeegee bottle and a pipe, they would simply take a sample from your tank, look at the colour, either nick you on the spot or put it back in the tank and let you go on your way. But now they have very neat, small portable mini labs to test your DERV at the roadside. Kerosene (28sec oil) is commercial/home heating oil which is known as 'kero' or 'paraffin'. It is straw/orange in colour, very clean burning (has a very low sulphur content) and economical to use, however it contains no lubricant and is thus not suitable as fuel for engines. Even when mixed 50/50 with DERV, HM C&E roadside checks can still detect it, using their new high-tech mini labs.
Some people fit a second "hidden tank" so they can use red derv undetected. Carefully routing the supply/return pipes out of view. Only to be caught because the HM C&E have dipped there main tank and its been green derv they have pulled out, reason being if derv stands about it absorbs water "hygroscopic" then if left for a long while green-blackish microbes grows in it. HM C&E staff are dipping cars & light vans all day & if they can't get a pipe down your fuel filler tube, alarm bells will ring.
Red diesel in a un-tampered state, will not harm a road going engine, most damage to pumps related to running on red diesel is caused by water or other contaminants being mixed with the fuel. The source normally can be traced back to dirty fuel containers/cans being used to store & transport the fuel. We have over the years removed some vile looking fluids from fuel tanks over the years! Red diesel stripped of its dye & additives will wax in cold weather, foam causing problems filling small auto fuel tanks and may wreck injection pumps due to the removal of lubricity agents.