Beyond standard cetane testing: Unlocking research for the next generation of sustainable fuels

The transition to lower-carbon transport is accelerating, but aviation, marine and heavy-duty transport will continue to rely on liquid fuels for decades. This reality is driving unprecedented investment in renewable diesel, biodiesel, HVO, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), e-fuels and other synthetic fuel pathways. At the same time, policy initiatives such as RefuelEU Aviation and the UK SAF Mandate are increasing demand for reliable analytical tools. These tools need to support fuel development from laboratory research through to commercial qualification.

Every new fuel pathway must demonstrate reliable combustion performance before commercial deployment. The IQT® – Ignition Quality Tester powered by CFR Engines Inc. (CFR) has become the global benchmark for Derived Cetane Number (DCN) testing. It has also established an important role in screening SAF under ASTM D4054 using ASTM D6890.

Pilot-scale fuels are often available only in millilitre quantities. The IQT platform requires only very small sample volumes, allowing valuable combustion research to begin long before commercial-scale production is available.

The IQT-FLEX was developed alongside the IQT-XLM to give universities and research and development (R&D) laboratories the freedom to investigate ignition behaviour beyond standard cetane test conditions. A single instrument can switch seamlessly between ASTM-compliant operation and advanced research mode.

IQT-FLEX supports charge-air pressures up to 375 psi, chamber temperatures up to 750°C, ignition delays up to 600 ms, configurable injections and complete pressure-trace recording. Researchers can vary temperature, pressure and injection timing while developing custom calibration approaches for experimental fuels outside conventional diesel calibration ranges.

These capabilities are ideally suited for SAF, renewable diesel, biodiesel blends, HVO, e-fuels and other synthetic fuels. IQT-FLEX enables detailed investigation of combustion kinetics, ignition delay and fuel reactivity under realistic research conditions, supporting formulation studies and future standards development.

IQT-FLEX extends the trusted IQT platform from standards compliance into advanced combustion research. By combining precision, flexibility and comprehensive combustion data capture, it enables laboratories to accelerate innovation while generating the scientific evidence needed for cleaner fuels and lower-carbon transport.

"IQT-FLEX bridges the gap between standards compliance and scientific discovery, giving researchers the freedom to investigate ignition behaviour under conditions that better represent tomorrow's fuels."