Biodiesel testing for home producers

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

I've been given some information which I thought might be useful to those of you who make biodiesel. I've always believed that proper testing of biodiesel was simply out of reach for all but the commercial producers. Seems that this may not be the case.

Steve from T&S Laboratories is the dude to contact about this (as in the attached docs). Tell him you found him via this forum and it may encourage him to stop by and chat to us in here, which could only be a good thing.

The short story is that a test of biodiesel for personal use (Level 2) costs $286 and requires 250mls.

If anyone does use this service, I'd be curious to know how it goes, so please post here. I will consider using this to get random samples of biodiesel from commercial suppliers (like VP in Sydney) on behalf of the National Biofuel Users organisation that we're setting up, so I'd be interested to hear how it goes.

[Jacka Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jacka]

Re: Biodiesel testing for home producers

Hmm testing of Sus VP fuels would be great and whats even better is that he is only just up the road from me well sort of anyway LOL

[Chev28 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chev28]

Re: Biodiesel testing for home producers

This looks good but when I add up all the ASTM tests in the schedule, I get more than the $286. Will $286 will meet the standard for the excise rebate?

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Biodiesel testing for home producers

Not sure, I guess we'll have to get Steve from T&S in here to answer our questions.
I'd assume that the $286 test is a "package" to do the essentials for the home producer but would not meet the requirements of the full ASTM test. I think it might be more for peace of mind, rather than legal requirements to obtain an excise rebate.
It might also be good for a consumer group to use some of these cheaper tests to see if any early warning lights go off on the fuels that are being supplied by some of the retailers.
Really, we need Steve to answer our questions - he said he'd be available next week, so keep 'em coming in the mean time and we'll see if we can get them all answered.

[tslab Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close tslab]

Re: Biodiesel testing for home producers

Robert, the $286 covers Acid number, Free & Total Glycerin, Ester, Viscosity and Water. These tests will give you a good indication of how your reaction/process is working. To do all the tests on the spec (without cetane) is a bit over $1000. That is why we have suggested doing at least some of the tests so that it is affordable and you have some confidence in the product you are producing before you put it in your equipment. Once you are satisfied that your manufacturing process is consistent and you are passing the criteria for the above mentioned tests, then you should really have the others done from time to time as well. The short list is just what the home user should at least be getting done.
Also, you should be aware that you can't really analyse the quality of biodiesel once it has been blended with distillate, once it is blended you should be testing it against the Diesel specification.
Steve

[Jacka Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jacka]

Re: Biodiesel testing for home producers

Thanks for comming in Steve. Welcome to our little home away from home, please don't make this your fist and last visit

I am wondering you say that if BD has been blended with Dinodiesel then you have to test to the Diesel standard.

How would you go about testing for contaminates in the blend?

Say for example that you were giving a blend of unknown % could you test if to see what was in it say BD and Dinodiesel and ????? Would you be able to work out that there is something in there that is not?

Also we have had some discussions on here and at out picnic about Oxidised BD and the smell of it. Could you test for this type of thing in a Blend and still know that it was the BD that is oxidising and not a third party contaminate in the diesel?

[tslab Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close tslab]

Re: Biodiesel testing for home producers

If given a blended product we could tell you whether it is B5, B20, etc. The amount of testing you could do on any fuel can become very extensive (and expensive) and therefore you really need to be testing for a particular reason. If a fuel meets the Australian Specification then it should be OK for use. In regard to oxidised biodiesel in a blend, there is a test for oxidation stability of diesel fuel, but it is really only going to tell you that the fuel blend itself passes or fails. It may be possible to do some analysis on the oxidation residue to determine whether it was from the fossil fuel or biodiesel, but again it could get quite involved and expensive. Significant levels of third party contaminates should show up in the specification tests.
Do you use oxidation inhibitors in your home produced products.

Steve

[gwalker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gwalker]

Re: Biodiesel oxidation inhibitors

...
Do you use oxidation inhibitors in your home produced products.

Steve

After extensive reading if this and other BD forums, I have never seen any home producer refer to using a BD additive.
Tell us more about BD oxidation and associated inhibitors?

[Robert Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Robert]

Re: Biodiesel testing for home producers

Hi Steve, I think the testing that Jacka was thinking about was a recent sample obtained from a retailer (Volume Plus). We've discussed this at length here (just read on from post #46).