Biodiesel

PaulRainbow said:
Does it mix if you shake the bottle, then settle out ?

Looks a bit like creosote, only blacker ?

If yes, it'll likely be asphaltenes.
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Yes. Precisely that. This is easy and does not go through filters. So presuming it accumulated for several years it will eventually become a danger for those who can't drain the sump... ie most badly designed fuel tanks.
 
Refueler said:
Highly unlikely .... asphaltenes are controlled in fuels and dispersed. Usually you would only encounter them with high pressure / temp systems. A fuel tank unless subjected to unusual conditions would not deposit asphaltenes.

Micro Bacterial mass on the other hand in a warm country such as Greece, especially with a marina fuel station that may not have high throughput - standing fuel - is more likely.

The 'tests' you describe : shake and it settles out ... looks like creosote ... describes dead Bugs to a tee ....

Dead bugs if you see them ... colour can run from brown through to jet black. Consistency can be sticky like glue or slippery gel.

I am not saying its not asphaltenes - I would have to see it to be sure - but its highly unlikely.
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I can send you a sample if you like!
 
A key lesson leaned in the US, where it gets both much colder and the range available fats is much wider, is the BASE of the biodiesel really matters.

Converting the fat to FAME greatly reduces the viscosity and gel point, but it doesn't solve the problem. Fats that can freeze (tallows and chicken fat) are trouble in the winter. Rape seed (CANOLA) oil, soy oil, and other lower vis. vegetable oils work better. Waste veggy oil with tallow in it is a problem. I'm guessing the worst culprits are based on tallow and cold is the problem. Biodiesel in the US has switched virtually 100% to veg oils. In the US, ASTM standards have solved nearly all of the problems.

I'm not a fan, but I've been invovled in sorting out some of the problems (chem e).
 
Refueler said:
UK ... and similar areas :

Summer grade is usually better than the spec required and usually around the -6C level ...

Winter grade is usually -16C.

As you go into Norway and Baltics of course the specs get lower and lower ... till in fact diesel cannot meet the required temp. Then Kerosine usually takes over as in Nanuk Arctic Grade ....

Reference : BS-EN 590 and its later addendums

Its also the reason Russian trucks etc. were for years gasoline powered to survive the severe winters until the tech to get diesels low enough ...
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Refueler said:
What did I say ? Absolutely ..
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Please Mr refueler can you help?
last year following the discovery of black tar on my dipstick I used an additive in my 50 gallon 'working tank' but not in my 50 gallon 'reserve tank.
This cleared the tar from the working tank while the reserve stayed tarry.
Unfortunately the fuel in the working tank turned black ( stayed clear in the reserve) This black colour is not removed despite repeated passes through my 2micron polisher neither will it settle out.
The additive supplier feels that the black fuel will pass through my perkins 4108 with no adverse effect. Can you guess at what has been happening. ( no evidence of bug sighted !)
 
^^ I'm technically on the edge of what we call the "south" in the US (Virginia), and we've had -6C several times already. We'll see -16C even here, and farther north -30C is common enough, and that is before getting into Canada.
 
Refueler said:
I would not be able to do it for less ... plus I have handling charges as not in UK
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From what I now understand, the BIO in diesel could be from a number of different sources and preparation processes. It would be interesting to know what Type BIOn is in the Greek deisel - I will endevour to contact one of the Greek suppliers!
 
Chris_Robb said:
From what I now understand, the BIO in diesel could be from a number of different sources and preparation processes. It would be interesting to know what Type BIOn is in the Greek deisel - I will endevour to contact one of the Greek suppliers!
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Thats true ... the list of Bio's is extensive ... pages ! One of the problems for 'Distributors' - they do not actually get involved in the blending - they buy from inventory.

That's without considering HVO ...... which is a totally different ball game in the Bio world.
 
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