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The Small Scale Biodiesel Test Manual PDF
The Small Scale Biodiesel Test Manual PDF
1
Forward
As
with
all
commercially
produced
fuels,
petroleum
based
or
otherwise,
there
are
quality
standards
for
biodiesel
that
must
be
met.
Biodiesel
is
often
produced
with
a
variety
of
oils,
catalysts
and
alcohols,
because
of
this,
the
quality
of
biodiesel
can
vary
from
batch
to
batch
or
gallon
to
gallon.
The
American
Society
for
Testing
and
Materials
(ASTM)
standards
for
commercially
produced
biodiesel
were
established
with
the
assistance
of
the
National
Biodiesel
Board
(NBB)
(Drapcho,
Nhuan
and
Walker,
2008).
The
standards
and
techniques
for
biodiesel
quality
in
the
U.S.
are
given
in
the
ASTM
D6751.
To
ensure
that
biodiesel
meets
the
standards,
a
significant
amount
of
laboratory
testing
must
be
done
on
the
fuel.
The
ASTM
D6751
standards
provide
the
approved
test
protocols
for
the
quality
standards
that
must
be
met.
To
either
perform
these
tests
or
have
them
done
may
be
expensive.
Having
a
sample
tested
by
ASTM
Certified
laboratory
can
cost
upwards
of
$50.00/sample.
For
homebrew,
collegiate
or
generally
small
scale
biodiesel
producers,
this
will
add
up
quickly
to
amounts
that
are
no
longer
affordable.
Alternatively,
producers
can
purchase
the
appropriate
equipment
to
test
their
own
fuel.
The
problem
with
this
is
much
of
the
laboratory
equipment
costs
tens
of
thousands
of
dollars
and
is
unreasonable
for
a
small
scale
producer
to
purchase
without
financial
assistance.
If
possible,
performing
the
ASTM
test
and
meeting
the
standards
should
be
done.
In
many
situations,
this
will
not
be
possible
due
to
cost
or
lack
of
equipment.
This
does
not
mean
that
high
quality
fuel
cannot
be
produced
or
tested
for
quality.
This
booklet
has
been
put
together
with
the
homebrew
and
small
scale
biodiesel
producer
in
mind.
It
establishes
a
set
of
test
which
can
be
done
with
a
small
investment
and
that
ensure
the
quality
of
fuel
being
produced.
I
hope
this
book
will
assist
you
in
feeling
proud
in
the
fuel
you
produce
and
make
you
confident
in
using
it.
Thank
you,
Sam
Parker
Dickinson
College
’12
Student
Manager
Dickinson
College
Biodiesel
Skparker1989@gmail.com
2
Procedure:
1. Ensure
homogeneity
of
fuel
or
oil.
Mix
the
liquid,
if
possible,
for
5+
minutes
before
pulling
a
sample.
If
this
is
not
possible
try
and
get
your
sample
directly
after
transferring
or
at
point
which
you
feel
the
fuel
is
homogeneous.
2. a.
If
you
are
pulling
a
sample
from
a
port
on
a
tank
or
a
pipe,
purge
the
lines
to
be
sure
that
you
get
an
accurate
sample.
Do
this
by
letting
the
fuel
or
oil
to
flow
from
the
sample
port
into
a
bucket
or
jar
for
about
5
seconds.
b.
If
you
are
pulling
a
sample
with
a
syringe,
filling
the
syringe
once
with
liquid.
Drain
the
syringe
and
then
fill
it
once
again.
3. Get
a
clean
container
of
an
appropriate
size
to
hold
the
sample.
Beakers
and
canning
jars
work
well
for
this.
4.
Fill
the
container
with
the
desired
amount
of
fuel
or
vegetable
oil.
3
Materials:
• 125mL
E-‐flask
• 91+%
Isopropyl
alcohol
• Phenolphthalein
indicator
• 50
mL
Burette
• 0.1%
KOH
solution
Procedure:
1. Add
10
mL
of
91+%
isopropyl
alcohol
to
a
125
ml
E-‐flask.
2. Add 1 mL of heated oil from reactor to the isopropyl alcohol.
3. Stir the alcohol and oil until the oil is completely dissolved.
6. Slowly add the 0.1% KOH solution to the E-‐Flask until it turns pink.
Number
milliliters
of
0.1%
KOH
added
is
equal
to
the
number
grams
of
EXTRA
KOH
beyond
normal
7.5
g/L
that
must
be
added
per
liter
of
oil.
NOTE:
Repeat
all
titrations
at
least
3
times
to
an
accuracy
of
+/-‐
1%.
Calculation:
Total
KOH
=
(7.5
grams
KOH
+
Titration
#)
*
liters
4
3.
27/3
Test
When
to
Test:
After
methanol
recovery
has
been
performed
on
the
batch.
If
methanol
recovery
is
not
being
used
in
your
process
this
test
can
be
performed
after
the
washing
and
drying
of
the
fuel.
Why:
This
test
helps
to
determine
if
complete
conversion
of
oil
to
biodiesel
has
occurred.
It
is
important
to
test
for
complete
conversion
of
biodiesel
because
if
it
has
no
occurred,
then
the
fuel
may
cause
engine
issues
if
used.
Materials:
• Methanol
• Test
tube
or
graduated
cylinder
• 5+
mL
Syringe
• Rubber
stopper
Procedure:
1. Add
27
mL
of
methanol
to
a
test
tube
or
graduated
cylinder.
Be
sure
that
you
have
a
way
to
close
the
cylinder
before
adding
the
methanol.
2. Take a sample of biodiesel. See Section 1 for further explanation of proper sampling.
3. Add 3 mL of biodiesel to the test tube or cylinder.
4. Put the stopper in the tube and shake for 30 seconds.
5. Let
the
test
settle
for
a
second.
Examine
the
bottom
of
the
test
tube.
If
full
conversion
has
occurred
then
the
methanol/biodiesel
solution
will
be
crystal
clear
with
a
slight
yellow
tint.
If
the
full
conversion
has
not
occurred
oil
“bubbles”
will
form
at
the
bottom
of
the
test
tube.
5
Why:
Moisture
in
fuel
can
cause
high
acid
values,
increase
the
risk
of
oxidation
and
potentially
promote
corrosion
of
engines
and
fuel
tanks
in
vehicles.
This
test
is
used
to
measure
the
precise
the
amount
of
water
in
parts
per
million
(ppm)
remaining
in
the
fuel.
Procedure:
(for
further
instruction
see
page
5
of
the
Sandy
Brae
instruction
manual)
1. Add
30
ml
of
biodiesel
to
the
larger
compartment
in
test
vessel.
*
2. Add
10
ml
of
Reagent
B
to
the
biodiesel
in
the
larger
compartment.*
*be
careful
not
to
get
any
in
the
smaller
compartment
3. Add
two
packets
of
Reagent
A
to
the
smaller
compartment.
Refer
to
page
9
in
the
Sandy
Brae
Manual
for
preparation
of
Reagent
A**
**
CAUTION!
Reagent
A
contains
Calcium
Hydride
which,
if
brought
into
contact
with
water,
will
create
hydrogen
gas
which
is
very
flammable.
Calcium
Hydride
can
cause
eye
and
skin
burns.
Be
carefully
not
to
get
any
Reagent
A
into
the
larger
compartment.
4. Keeping the vessel up right, screw the cap on tightly.
6. Observe
the
pressure
gauge.
If
the
pressure
reaches
14psi,
press
the
pressure
release
valve
and
shake
for
another
20
seconds.
Repeat
until
the
pressure
stops.
7. Use the table at the end of the section (Page 7), to figure out the water content in the fuel.
What
To
Do:
If
the
water
content
is
above
500
ppm
then
continue
to
dry
the
fuel
until
this
point
is
reached.
6
7
5.
Density
Test
When:
After
performing
methanol
recovery.
In
the
absence
of
methanol
recovery,
after
washing
and
drying
fuel,
prior
to
storage
or
use.
Why:
This
test
is
performed
to
indicate
residual
methanol
in
biodiesel.
Residual
methanol
will
lower
the
flash
point
of
the
fuel,
potentially
harming
engines
when
used.
Biodiesel
has
a
density
of
approximately
0.88
g/mL,
while
methanol
has
a
density
of
approximately
0.791
g/mL.
Thus,
if
there
is
residual
methanol
in
the
fuel,
then
the
density
will
be
reduced.
Materials:
• 1000
mL
Beaker
or
container
(ex.
Canning
jar)
• Balance
• Calculator
Procedure:
1. Place
1000
mL
beaker
on
the
balance
and
tare
the
weight,
otherwise
known
as
zeroing
the
balance.
2. Get
a
1000
mL
sample
of
biodiesel
in
the
beaker.
Do
not
forget
to
follow
proper
sampling
technique
found
in
section
1
(page
3).
4. Record weight.
5. The
sample
should
weigh
about
880
g
+/-‐
10
g.
If
the
sample
weighs
significantly
less,
more
than
10
g,
than
the
biodiesel
has
residue
alcohol
(methanol)
in
it.
8
6.
Kinematic
Viscosity
When:
After
washing
and
drying
fuel,
prior
to
storage
or
use.
Why:
Kinematic
Viscosity
can
indicate
the
oxidation
stability.
High
viscosity
can
indicate
poor
oxidation
stability.
Oxidation
stability
is
the
“shelf
life”
of
the
fuel,
or
the
length
of
time
fuel
can
be
left
unused
in
storage
without
going
bad.
This
is
a
problem
that
derives
from
the
fuels
being
biologically
based.
Material:
• #0
Mini
Ford
Dip
Viscosity
Cup
• Beaker
or
other
heat
resistance
dish
• Thermometer
• Stop
watch
with
accuracy
of
tenth
of
a
second
or
better
Procedure:
1. Heat
a
sample,
200+
mL,
of
biodiesel
to
25°C
±
0.5°C.
Proper
temperature
is
very
important
for
accurate
results.
2. Completely
submerge
the
#0
Mini
Ford
Dip
Viscosity
Cup
in
the
sample
of
heated
biodiesel.
Allow
cup
to
sit
in
biodiesel
for
1-‐5
minutes
to
allow
for
the
cup
and
biodiesel
to
reach
equal
temperatures.
3. With
stop
watch
in
hand,
quickly
remove
the
#0
Mini
Ford
Dip
Viscosity
Cup
from
the
sample.
Begin
timing
as
the
top
edge
of
the
cup
breaks
the
surface
of
the
biodiesel.
4. Stop
the
timer
when
the
first
definite
break
in
flow
of
biodiesel
occurs
towards
the
bottom
of
the
cup.
5. Record results and repeat two more times. Keep temperature “drift” between test at ± 0.2°C.
6. The
results
are
in
seconds
and
will
need
to
be
converted
centistokes.
The
formula
for
conversion
is-‐
V
=
(0.266
*
T)
–
(157/T)
Where
V
is
viscosity
in
centistokes
and
T
is
time
in
seconds.
7. The ASTM Standards require results between 1.9 and 6.0 centistokes.
8. Procedure
and
conversion
can
be
found
on
page
12
and
page
14,
respectively,
of
the
Mini
Ford
Dip
Viscosity
Cup
Instruction
Manual.
9
7.
Soap
Titration
When
to
Test:
After
washing
and
drying
fuel,
prior
to
storage
or
use
and
has
passed
Sandy
Brae
Test.
Why:
Determines
the
parts
per
million
of
soap
in
the
fuel.
Soap
is
formed
from
the
catalyst
used
in
processing.
If
concentrations
of
soap
remaining
in
the
biodiesel
are
too
high
then
the
fuel
can
cause
engine
problems
if
used.
Materials
• Acetone
• E-‐flask
• Bromophenol
Blue
• Syringe
• Balance
• Burette
• 0.01N
HCl
solution
Procedure:
1. Add
100
mL
of
acetone
to
a
250
mL
E-‐flask.
4. Add 20 grams of biodiesel (approximately 23 mL)—record actual mass.
Calculation:
PPM
Soap
(KOH)
=
mL
of
0.01N
HCl
X
320.6/2
=
mL
0.01N
HCl
X
1
L
HCL
X
0.01
mol
HCl
X
1
mol
soap
X
320.56
g
soap
X
1000000
1000
mL
HCl
1
L
HCl
1
mol
HCl
20
g
biodiesel
PPM
Soap
(NaOH)
=
mL
of
0.01N
HCl
X
228.53/2
=
mL
0.01N
HCl
X
1
L
HCL
X
0.01
mol
HCl
X
1
mol
soap
X
228.53
g
soap
X
1000000
1000
mL
HCl
1
L
HCl
1
mol
HCl
20
g
biodiesel
NOTE:
Repeat
all
titrations
at
least
3
times
to
an
accuracy
of
+/-‐
1%
The
standards
for
this
test
are
set
higher
than
he
ASTM
Standard
because
it
is
very
difficult
to
test
for
levels
as
low
as
5ppm
without
expensive
equipment
and
fuel
with
higher
levels
of
soap
can
be
used.
11
Why:
Determines
how
acidic
the
biodiesel
is
after
processing.
Acid
number
indicates
the
amount
of
Free
Fatty
acids
that
are
remaining
in
the
fuel,
which
implies
incomplete
conversion
of
fuel
or
reverse
conversion.
High
acid
number
can
cause
corrosion
in
engine
and
vehicle
parts
if
used
and
thus
meeting
the
standards
is
important.
Materials
• 125mL
E-‐flask
• 91+%
Isopropyl
alcohol
• Phenolphthalein
indicator
• 50
mL
Burette
• 0.1N
KOH
solution
Procedure:
1. Add
50
mL
of
91+%
isopropyl
alcohol
to
a
250
ml
E-‐flask.
7. The ASTM limit for Acid Number is 0.50 mg KOH/g.
Calculation:
Acid
#=
ml
0.1N
KOH
X
0.1N
KOH
X
56.1
5
g
biodiesel
12
Why:
Determines
the
temperature
at
which
the
fuel
is
likely
to
plug
the
fuel
filter.
This
test
serves
to
inform
the
user
of
the
fuel
as
to
when
he
or
she
should
begin
to
blend
the
biodiesel
to
avoid
the
gelling.
Materials
• Larger
Beaker
or
container
• Thermometer
• Small
refrigerator
Procedure:
1. Take
a
large
sample
of
biodiesel
(+500
mL)
in
a
beaker.
2. Place thermometer into the biodiesel and place biodiesel in the refrigerator.
3. Monitor temperature of the biodiesel and watch to see when fuel begins to get cloudy.
4. ASTM has no requirement for cloud point, the test limitations are noted as “Report”.
13
Work
Cited
ASTM
International.
"ASTM
International
-‐
Proficiency
Testing
Programs
-‐
Petroleum
Products
&
Lubricants
-‐
Biodiesel."
ASTM
International
-‐
Standards
Worldwide.
ASTM.
Web.
21
Sept.
2011.
<http://www.astm.org/STATQA/biodiesel.htm>.
Kemp,
William
H.
"Biodiesel
Fuel
Quality."
Biodiesel
Basics
and
Beyond:
a
Comprehensive
Guide
to
Production
and
Use
for
the
Home
and
Farm.
Tamworth,
Ont.:
Aztext,
2006.
101-‐06.
Print.
Oak
Ridge
National
Laboratory.
"Bioenergy
Conversion
Factors."
Bioenergy
Feedstock
Information
Network
(BFIN)
Administration
Site.
23
June
2003.
Web.
27
Dec.
2011.
<https://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/misc/energy_conv.html>.
Sandy
Brae
Laboratories,
Inc.
"Water
Test
Kit
Instructions."
Sandy
Brae.
Sandy
Brae
Laboratories,
Inc.,
20
Nov.
2009.
Web.
13
Oct.
2011.
<http://www.sandybrae.com/wtkinst.pdf>.
Van,
Gerpen
Jon
Harlan.
Building
a
Successful
Biodiesel
Business:
Technology
Considerations,
Developing
the
Business,
Analytical
Methodologies.
[United
States]:
Biodiesel
Basics,
2006.
Print.
Walker,
Roger.
"Mass,
Weight,
Density
or
Specific
Gravity
of
Liquids."
Metric
Conversion
Tables
to
or
from
Imperial
Measurements
The
SI
System
for
Metric
Conversion.
8
Sept.
2007.
Web.
27
Dec.
2011.
<http://www.simetric.co.uk/si_liquids.htm>.
14