| “Low Blends”
of Biodiesel: A Guide to Different Blend Levels
Biodiesel has become a valuable blending
component with diesel fuel at low percentage blends because
of biodiesel’s “premium” aspects. Pure biodiesel
has high lubricity, high cetane, and a high flash point. “Low
blend” can be defined as blends of 5% and below. Even
low blends of biodiesel are highly effective at enhancing
the lubricity of diesel fuel. The typical blend used for lubricity
enhancement is 2% biodiesel mixed with 98% diesel (B2).
Several commercial “premium
diesel” products have incorporated the positive benefits
of biodiesel as a component of their multi-functional additive
packages. These products typically claim that biodiesel serves
as the carrier for the additive and delivers the lubricity
properties, making up half of the total additive volume. These
types of marketing messages often confuse the customer about
the percentage volume of biodiesel in the finished blend.
Generally, dosing rates for these types of additives is a
maximum .25%. If biodiesel (methyl esters) makes up approximately
half of the additive package, a customer could reasonably
expect the finished blend to contain .10 - .15% biodiesel
(or one-tenth of one percent).
Blends of up to 5% biodiesel are considered
additive volumes. B5 meets the ASTM specification for diesel
fuel, D 975. (Blends of up to B20 can meet D 975, however,
as blend concentrations increase, there is a higher chance
for distortion of some of the test method results which were
designed for diesel fuel rather than biodiesel. Hence, all
biodiesel (B100) should meet ASTM’s biodiesel standard,
D 6751, prior to blending with diesel fuel at any level.)
Why B2?
Lubricity data indicates that 2% blends of biodiesel offer
the highest amount of lubricity benefit for the least incremental
cost. Testing has shown that 2% blends of biodiesel can provide
any type of distillate fuel with sufficient lubricity. Click
here for a copy of public comments by
Stanadyne Automotive Corp. about the use of B2, submitted
as a response to EPA’s ultra-low sulfur diesel rule.
 Many
independent petroleum distributors have embraced biodiesel
as a liquid fuel that can be complimentary to their conventional
petroleum products, and integrated profitably into their operations
and product lines. The National Biodiesel Board believes that
the success of biodiesel as a fuel will depend upon the extent
to which it can be successfully integrated into the existing
national liquid fuel energy infrastructure. NBB is a Platinum
Partner of the Petroleum Marketer’s Association of America
(PMAA), and has committed to work cooperatively with petroleum
distributors and marketers on technical, marketing, and regulatory
issues pertaining to biodiesel. NBB and its member organizations
have also begun outreach efforts to cooperate on regional
technical, regulatory, and educational initiatives with state
petroleum marketer groups.
|
Visitors
who viewed this page also viewed:
•Specification
of Biodiesel (B100) (pdf)
•Williams
Cold Flow Testing Report (pdf)
| GLOSSARY
OF TERMS:
Lubricity:
Lubricating characteristic of diesel fuel necessary
to keep diesel fuel injection systems properly lubricated.
Click here for lubricity fact sheet.
Cetane: Measure
of combustion efficiency in a diesel engine. Similar
to octane in a gasoline engine.
Flash point: Temperature
at which fuel “autocombusts” under pressure.
A flash point that is too low can cause injector failure,
fires, or even explosions. The higher a fuel’s
flash point, the safer it is to store and handle. Biodiesel
has a flash point of approximately twice that of diesel
fuel.
B2: A
blend of 2% biodiesel and 98% diesel fuel. (e.g. B5
equals a 5% blend, B10 equals 10% biodiesel.)
Premium Diesel: A
diesel fuel containing one or more performance properties
exceeding regular diesel fuel standards. These properties
typically include: lubricity, cetane, energy content,
fuel injector cleanliness, low temperature operability,
or stability.
Click here for more on the definition
of premium diesel fuel.
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Editorial by Dan Gilligan
President, Petroleum Marketers Association of America
 As
president of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America
(PMAA), I would like to congratulate the biodiesel industry
on successfully achieving all recognized technical, regulatory
and infrastructure milestones that have resulted in its commercial
success as a fuel and fuel additive.
Biodiesel is a product with a great
deal of promise, and petroleum marketers would be wise to
learn more about it. Biodiesel is virtually the only alternative
fuel to integrate seamlessly with diesel technology nationwide.
Petroleum marketers are eager to deliver products to their
local marketplace that their customers can benefit from, and
biodiesel is one such product. As its use increases in the
United States, petroleum marketers will continue to integrate
biodiesel into their operations, adding both value and market
differentiation into their product lines. This change should
be welcomed as a new source of revenue and national energy
security that will ensure the diesel industry continues to
grow healthy and strong.
PMAA is a federation of 42 state and
regional trade associations representing 7,850 independent
petroleum marketers nationwide. Collectively, these marketers
sell approximately half the gasoline, 60% of the diesel fuel
and 80% of the home heating oil consumed in America annually.
In January 2001, PMAA was pleased to
welcome the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) as a national partner.
Renewable fuel is an important and timely topic in Washington
D.C. PMAA appreciates the insight the biodiesel industry will
bring to our discussions.
Like the fuels themselves, the petroleum
and biodiesel industries can blend together perfectly.
To learn more about PMAA, visit
http://www.pmaa.org.
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