Testing of Biodiesel Products: Key Titration Applications
By Dr. Raj Shah Vincent Colantuoni Koehler Instrument Company

The U.S. Biodiesel industry currently represents less than 0.5% of the total diesel fuel market (approximately 239 billion liters) annually. Obviously there is quite a way to go before Biodiesel becomes a mainstream energy source. Various factors including the amount of available feedstock (including high feedstock costs), controlling fuel quality,...

Ultrasonic Gas Leak Detection
By Nigel Lock

Over the past several years there has been a quiet revolution in the art of gas detection with the steady introduction of a new technology to complement the existing methods of detecting gases. Conventional flammable gas detectors, either catalytic point, Infra red point or Infra red beam, all rely on...

Analysis of Biodiesel and Determination of Traces in New Oil by ICP-AES
By Jean-Michel Mermet

Biodiesel refers to a non-petroleum-based diesel fuel consisting of short chain alkyl (methyl or ethyl) esters, made by transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats, which can be used (alone, or blended with conventional petrodiesel) in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles....

Thermal Flow Switches For Water Treatment In Oil Refineries
By Steven Craig

Reliable monitoring and treatment of water in oil refineries is essential for the production of petroleum-based products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, heating oil, and byproducts for plastics and a variety of lubricants (Figure 1). There are three process areas within refineries that require large amounts of water: cooling units, desalter...

Meeting the Challenges of Biodiesel Blend Measurements with Portable Mid-Infrared Analyzers
By Sandy Rintoul

In a published paper on biodiesel blend quality submitted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory1, the chief problem found with biodiesel blends was inaccurate blend ratios. Retail customers and fleet managers do not typically worry about whether the blend ratio is correct until a problem occurs. For fleet managers, an...