Comments Stormbringer has made

  • responding to Ben

    "the aspect of biodiesel that provides lubricity are  the glycerides. The same contaminants that cause gelling in winter. refine the biodiesel so it's usable, lose the lubricity.. great tradeoff."

    Heya Tom, does B2 freeze? I always thought that's why people stay with the low blends. If not biodiesel, what will be the lubricant?

    Hi Ben!

     If the glycerides aren't refined out, the biodiesel will gel in cold weather, regardless of the blend level.  If you recall minnesota this past winter, their 2% blend caused all kinds of gelling issues.

    As far as what will be the lubricant, the guy with the truck fleet is on his own. Engine manufacturers don't warranty parts that die from a lack of lubrication, so they don't have an incentive to really solve the problem. The fuel suppliers will be happy to charge for a petroleum based product that turns to goo when exposed to combustion temps, though. On Biodiesel: The slippery facts posted 3 years, 7 months ago 37 Responses

  • Biodiesel & ULSD

    <<The US is moving to ultra-low sulfur diesel in Sept. Ultra-low sulfur diesel needs a lubricant, biodiesel is a great lubricant and that's why we're going to be seeing more biodiesel/diesel blends.>>

    the aspect of biodiesel that provides lubricity are  the glycerides. The same contaminants that cause gelling in winter. refine the biodiesel so it's usable, lose the lubricity.. great tradeoff.

    Also, the HFRR & SBOCLE methods used to determine lubricity have always been deemed inaccurate.. until this year, there's never been a standard for lubricity.. I guess they just needed to pick a testing method so they'd get their funding.

    TomOn Biodiesel: The slippery facts posted 3 years, 7 months ago 37 Responses

  • Biodiesel - slippery facts

    Hi All!

    Regarding the question of 2% blend limits:

    the 2% blend limit for biodiesel is for a couple of reasons.. According to the EPA's own documentation, biodiesel raises NOx, so the less you are combusting, the better.

    2 - 5% blends are a compromise between industry, who can't tolerate equipment failure, and the farm lobby, who needs their subsidies.

    I understand the need to "do something" about or dependence on crude oil, but we can't lose sight of the fact that biofuels have drawbacks when it comes to certain emissions and performance. On Biodiesel: The slippery facts posted 3 years, 7 months ago 37 Responses