In his State of the Union address, President Bush highlighted the United States’ need for energy independence, including solar power, wind power, and of course, biofuels.
One proposition of interest was to invest in research making ethanol from agricultural waste, which is a realistic biofuel of our future.
Methane gas is a natural byproduct of landfills all over our country. Power plants are starting to use this energy source to make the electricity to power your home and business.
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A recent story on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered“, focused the discussion on ethanol not being the holy grail of clean burning fuel.
The featured guest, Tim Searchinger of Princeton University, said, “The simplest explanation is that when we divert our corn or soybeans to fuel, if people around the world are going to continue to eat the same amount that they’re already eating, you have to replace that food somewhere else.”
This of course forces humans to convert more natural forests and grasslands into agricultural fields which results in more carbon dioxide production.
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Ethanol Biodiesel Is Continuing to Evolve
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Posted in Biodiesel, Biodiesel Testing on Jan 23rd, 2008
Biodiesel fuel benefits depend on the properties of the fuel produced. Refiners and distributors ensure the quality of this alternative fuel by meeting the standards specified by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
The ASTM guidelines place maximum and/or minimum limits on 4 biodiesel characteristics:
1) Flash Point. The flash point is the lowest temperature for which combustion is possible. If too low, then inadvertent combustion may occur which is of course a safety hazard. Producers should always test biodiesel fuel for the flash point to ensure the safety of distributors, retailers and consumers.
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Biodiesel Testing Needed to Meet ASTM Guidelines
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Posted in Biodiesel, Biodiesel Testing on Jan 23rd, 2008
To become certified by the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission (NBAC) as a BQ-9000 producer or seller, biodiesel fuel producers, distributors and retailers may be interested in putting into practice a fuel testing program.
Key to BQ-9000 certification is compliance with the ASTM D6751 specification for B100. The ASTM D6751 sets limits on a number of properties of biodiesel fuel:
- the combined mass concentration of calcium and magnesium
- the closed cup flashpoint
- the combined volume concentration of water and sediment
- and many more properties.
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Posted in News, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Testing on Jan 23rd, 2008
We are excited about The National Biodiesel Conference & Expo 2008! It will be held in Orlando, February 3-6, 2008 - Orlando is a great place to be in the middle of winter! The Conference will be at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.
The 2008 Conference is expected to break records with the number of industry leaders. There will be endless opportunities for education, networking, and events.
Stop by the Midwest Labs booth (Booth 1019) to learn more about our biodiesel testing analysis - analysis you can trust. For more information, contact Brent Pohlman or Heather Ramig at 402-334-7770.
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Posted in News, Biodiesel, Biodiesel Testing on Jan 16th, 2008
The U.S. Department of Energy has many biodiesel related incentives and laws to encourage blenders, producers, and retailers to manufacture these alternative fuels.
Quality control is a must throughout the production process. Midwest Laboratories, Inc. offers a wide array of Petroleum Analysis & Biodiesel Analysis Biodiesel Testing. We’re happy to work with you to whether you need an individual biodiesel testing kit or are interested in a package to continuously test biodiesel.
For additional information, please contact bpohlman@midwestlabs.com
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Posted in News, Standards, Biodiesel Testing on Jul 3rd, 2007
Cold Soak Filtration Analysis: ASTM 6217
The time in seconds it takes for cold soaked biodiesel to pass through two 0.8 micron filters and the amount of particulate matter expressed in mg/l collected on the filter.
For Producers/Blenders: Poor filtration can be related to choice of feedstock, as well as incomplete glycerin removal during processing. It may also indicate the B100 product was subjected to low temperatures (below pour point). It is not sufficient to warm to ambient- product must be heated to 100F to liquefy all molecules present.
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“Cold Soak Filtration” Test (ASTM 6217) will be required in Minnesota and Colorado
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Posted in Biodiesel, Biodiesel Testing on Jun 25th, 2007
Summary:
Biodiesel has been getting its share of interest among people in the search for alternative fuels. The cost of oils has been steadily going up in the worldwide market and many think it is time to find alternative sources to tone down in some way the rising costs of using gas and other petroleum-derived fuels. One of the alternatives found to have promise is the production of biodiesel.
Article:
Biodiesel and Its Impact on the Environment
By Matt OConnor
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Biodiesel and Its Impact on the Environment
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Posted in Biodiesel, Biodiesel Testing on Jun 25th, 2007
Summary:
More and more people choose to use biodiesel as their alternative fuel for their diesel vehicle. There are so many reasons and incentives to use biodiesel instead of petrodiesel. The biodiesel is produced from vegetable oil or animal fat. The vegetable oil has to pass a simple chemical process that is called transesterification in order to become biodiesel.
Article:
Biodiesel - Save Money & Help The Environment
By Assaf Katzir
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Biodiesel - Save Money & Help The Environment
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Posted in Biodiesel, Biodiesel Testing on Jun 25th, 2007
Summary:
More and more people choose to use biodiesel as their alternative fuel for their diesel vehicle. There are so many reasons and incentives to use biodiesel instead of petrodiesel. The biodiesel is produced from vegetable oil or animal fat. The vegetable oil has to pass a simple chemical process that is called transesterification in order to become biodiesel.
Article:
Biodiesel Myths and Facts
By Matt OConnor
When it comes to biodiesel, a lot of bad (and plain wrong) information tends to get thrown around leaving the public unsure as to whether biodiesel itself is indeed a good thing.
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