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Dec. 7, 2007
ASTM Subcommittee Passes New Specification for 20 Percent Biodiesel
B20 final approval could come as early as June
PHOENIX– After nearly six years of collaboration, ASTM has taken a leap forward in the process of creating a new specification that will cover blends of six-to-20 percent biodiesel (B6 – B20). The biodiesel blend specification passed out of ASTM International’s D02 Subcommittee E at the semi-annual ASTM meetings held in Phoenix this week and will clear the way for greater automaker approval of B20.
“This is a huge step forward for the biodiesel industry, as major engine companies and petroleum refiners joined the biodiesel industry in voting for passage of this ballot,” said Steve Howell, chairman of the ASTM Biodiesel Task Force. “We have known for years that B20 made with in-spec biodiesel is a good quality, reliable fuel, but OEMs, regulators and customers have demanded formal ASTM passage of a B20 blend spec in order to broaden their support for biodiesel blends. The biodiesel industry is delivering that.”
The majority of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) view the adoption of an ASTM blended fuel specification as a key component for full, universal acceptance of B20, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petrodiesel. Chrysler has previously announced the company plans to issue formal support for B20 once ASTM has formally approved B20 specifications.
According to the ballot, the biodiesel portion of the B6-to-B20 specification must meet the standard for pure biodiesel prior to blending, and the finished blend must meet the widest of the specifications for either No. 1 or No. 2 diesel. Parameters to measure acid number and stability were also added to the finished blend specification as an additional assurance of the fuel’s stability over time. In addition, the specifications allow the 90 percent distillation point to be 5 degrees C higher for the blend.
The subcommittee also passed ballots that would allow the formal incorporation of up to 5 percent biodiesel into the existing specification for diesel fuel (ASTM D 975) and the existing specification for home heating oil (ASTM D 396). The biodiesel portion must meet ASTM D 6751 prior to blending; the specification limits the biodiesel content to 5 percent and lower; and the finished specifications remain the same as those currently in place for petrodiesel, with no changes.
The subcommittee also made refinements to the current standard for pure biodiesel, ASTM D 6751. Changes to the B100 blend stock specification were needed to address the potential issue of filter clogging above the cloud point with B20 and lower blends. This also passed Subcommittee E this week. This was critical, as ASTM members voted in December 2006 that finished blends would not be allowed to pass until this issue was addressed at the B100 level.
All of the ballots will now need final approval from the Main Committee at the June 2008 ASTM meeting.
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel that is made from domestic resources such as soybean oil or other animal fats or vegetable oils. B20 and lower blends can be used in any diesel engine with no modifications. B20 significantly cuts harmful environmental emissions, promotes greater energy independence and boosts our economy. Hundreds of major fleets are using B20, including all branches of the U.S. military and more than 200 school districts. Biodiesel blends are available to the public at more than 1,250 retail filling stations nationwide.
