Please Note: You are viewing the unstyled version of POLARIS Laboratories. Either your browser does not support CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) or it is disabled. As a result, much of this website will not look the way it was intended, although all of its contents will be accessible to you. For more information, visit our Browser Support page.

Skip to Primary Site Navigation, Secondary Site Navigation, Content, Company Address

Home > Publications Directory > Technical Bulletins > Biodiesel Standards Confirm Fuel Quality, Help Develop New Engine Designs

Biodiesel Standards Confirm Fuel Quality, Help Develop New Engine Designs

ASTM International, one of the largest and most highly regarded standards development organizations in the world, has officially published its highly anticipated biodiesel blend specifications on its website.

In an article published online in the November 2008 issue of Biodiesel Magazine, Steve Howell, technical director for the National Biodiesel Board and chairman of the ASTM Biodiesel Task Force, said that before these new standards were established, there were no separate specifications for finished blends of biodiesel and diesel fuel. As long as the two parent fuels met their specs, they could be blended up to B20.

“With the passage of these specifications, biodiesel used in B20 blends and lower can now be considered a proven fuel,” Howell said. The new specifications have also been designed so that when B100 and diesel fuels meet their respective specifications prior to blending, the blended products will always meet the new blended fuel specs.

“Diesel users can be confident that the fuels meeting the newly approved specs are fit for purpose,” Howell added. “OEMs can now use these specs to design new engines - and regulators can use them to enforce fuel quality.”

The new biodiesel blend specifications include:

  • ASTM D975-08a, Specification for Diesel Fuel Oils - used for on-on-road diesel applications, was revised to include requirements for up to five percent biodiesel
  • ASTM D7467-08, Specification for Diesel Fuel Oil, Biodiesel Blend (B6 to 20) - a completely new specification that covers finished fuel blends of between six (B6) and 20 (B20) percent biodiesel for on- and off-road diesel engine use
  • ASTM D6751-08, Specification for Biodiesel Fuel Blend Stock (B100) for Middle Distillate Fuels - used to control pure biodiesel (B100) quality prior to blending with conventional diesel type fuels, was revised to include a requirement that controls minor compounds using a new cold soak filterability test

Print this Technical Bulletin (PDF - 95K)


Top

News

POLARIS Laboratories™ to provide fluid analysis for AES Defence Early Failure Detection Centre

POLARIS Laboratories™, an innovative leader in fluid analysis services in North America, announced today their partnership with UK-based AES Defence who provides oil analysis services for more than 1,500 British military vehicles.

Read More

Sign Up for eNewsletters


POLARIS' Environmental Responsibility

Protecting the environment is of fundamental importance to POLARIS Laboratories™ as it is to their employees and customers. POLARIS announces their goals, commitments and accomplishments with their new recycling and energy-saving techniques.

Read More


Training

  • Salt Lake City
    Practicing Oil Analysis
    March 30-31, 2010

  • Houston
    Practicing Oil Analysis
    June 22-23, 2010

  • Indianapolis
    Cooling Systems Maintenance
    July 20, 2010

View complete schedule and registration information


Tradeshows & Conferences

  • Truck World
    Toronto, ON
    April 15-17, 2010

  • CIM
    Vancouver, Canada
    May 9-12, 2010

View all tradeshows