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B20 Biodiesel

Keep and make your diesel fuel cleaner 700 394 Star Oilco

Keep and make your diesel fuel cleaner

Clean, dry, premium diesel

What is Clean Diesel? 

Clean diesel is free of the contaminants that harm modern diesel engines. Today, there is a gap between ASTM diesel standards and the ISO cleanliness standards needed for use in high pressure common rail engines. Anyone operating a modern clean diesel engine is seeing the effect, including injector replacement, DPF regeneration, and a host of other fuel quality related maintenance concerns we never saw twenty years ago. On top of all of that, today’s refined diesel fuels are less storage stable then ever before. What is on the bottom of your bulk tank can also complicate matters further. When diesel is bought wholesale it typically meets and exceeds ASTM required industry standards, but almost always requires additional filtration to avoid excessive engine wear and premature part failures.

Having clean diesel requires an additional amount of care. Namely, you need to make sure that the fuel is aggressively filtered at 4 microns to catch the microscopic particles that are big enough to damage your modern diesel engine’s high pressure fuel rail system. Furthermore, clean diesel is fuel that is free of water and stabilized with Premium Diesel to guarantee no bacteria, yeast and other creatures can grow and further contaminate the saddle tanks on your trucks.

For more on clean diesel, see Donaldson’s description of “The New Clean” for an in-depth explanation of what ISO cleanliness and filtration mean for your diesel fleet.

Making Diesel Cleaner!

Knowing the quality of your fuel is the first step. This is done by taking samples off of the bottom of your bulk storage, as well as a representative sample from your fuel dispenser. Lab tests of those samples will tell you if you have water, biological growth, or dirt issues with your storage. The contaminants in the tank being sampled are almost always visible, which is to say that they look horribly ugly. If your fuel quality assurance has been on autopilot, do not be surprised if you find this. After gathering knowledge about your fuel, the next step is to get your fuel quality clean.

Filtration and tank bottom sampling is the start. Beyond that, the only way to improve your fuel quality performance is to filter your fuel, ensure water is not getting into the tank through condensation, and additize it with a Premium Diesel additive to upgrade the performance of the fuel. Many fleets today are seeing injector wear and continual problems with particulate trap maintenance. This is a combination of water in fuel and microscopic particles not captured by a 10 or 30 micron filter used at most diesel dispensers. You have to filter more aggressively than this.

Clean, Dry, and Premium Diesel!  Where To Start?

The first step is sampling your bulk diesel tank. We check your bulk tank for water and dirt, and make sure to meet the specifications your engine is built for. Star Oilco can help by providing a complementary diesel test for those fleets interested in taking control of their fuel quality assurance. Usually when testing fuel, we take a sample off of the tank bottom as well as a representative sample out of the fuel dispensing nozzle.

What we usually find is ASTM specification diesel fuel (it meets ASTM spec) that is higher than you’d want (still in spec) for water with far more dirt than the OEM’s would want to see in your engine. This dirt fails to be within the “ISO Cleanliness” specifications recommended by engine manufacturers. Usually we also see water on the bottom of the fuel tank, which is a likely source for future or current biological growth in your fuel tank.

Star Oilco can help you fix this! The first step is to sample your fuel tank.

NOTE: If you have a current biological growth problem in your bulk fuel tank or fleet, your first step is to treat that effected fuel with a diesel microbiocide to kill the bugs growing in your tank. For more on this, see our Valvtect Plus 6 Diesel Microbiocide page.

Tank Testing Form

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
BioDiesel Feedstocks – Coconut Oil & Coffee Oil 150 150 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Coconut Oil & Coffee Oil

We are continuing our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. This week’s two feedstocks are Coconut Oil and Coffee Oil. Here is a link to the main page of feedstocks we have examined so far.

Coconut Oil

For this feedstock REG purchased refined, bleached, deodorized (RBD) coconut oil.The parts of a coconut tree.

As a background, lets talk a little bit about Coconut trees (Cocos nucifera) they are part of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and they love sandy soils and can tolerate a high level of salt. The trees prefer regular rainfall, high humidity 70-80% and lots of sunshine.  This is why we see them on the shorelines and beaches in the warmer parts of the world. They need year round warmth and moisture to grow well and produce fruit.  The Coconut palm tree can grow up to 98 ft tall and has 13-20 ft long leaves. A tree can begin producing fruit as early as 6 years but usually take between 15 to 20 years to reach its peak producing capacity. Most trees produce about 30 fruit a year but under ideal conditions they can produce as much as 75 a year.  Coconuts can be found in more than 90 countries with most of the production coming from tropical Asia.  The Philippines, India, and Indonesia account for over 72% of the production.

Coconuts already have a variety of uses, as food, cosmetics and animal food. Virtually every part of the palm can be used by humans for economic value.

Production of the oils used for biodiesel requires the coconut meat be removed from the seeds, dried and then pressed for the oil. A coconut that is between 12 to 15 months old is best for this.  You can expect to get about 50ml of oil per nut. The remaining meal is then able to still be used as an animal feed or can even be turned into a flour for baking.

 

Coconut Oil as a feedstock for Biodiesel.

Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis for Coconut Oil Chart.

 

 

Coffee Oil

Cup of Coffee on Coffee beans, Can this be the next form of BioDiesel?Coffee comes from roasted coffee beans, these “beans” are actually the seeds from berries of the Coffea species, with the two most common species being C. arabica and C. canephora. People have been drinking coffee since the 15th century.  Coffee plants are evergreen shrubs that can grow up to 15 feet tall. They have glossy, dark-green leaves about 4 to 6 inches long.  Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia are were most of the coffee is coming from.

Most Coffee grounds are thrown away or used as compost, but if we were to extract the oil possibilities arise. Coffee oil comes from spent coffee grounds; the grounds can contain as much as 11 to 20 percent oil. Extracting the oil doesn’t stop the grounds from being used as compost and you now have an oil that can be converted into biodiesel.  In the past the process of extracting the oil was cost prohibitive and took many steps to complete. There have been some recent advances in this process that could change this in the future. This method, if used on all coffee grounds, could produce over 286 million gallons a year of biodiesel.

 

Coffee Oil and the biodiesel that is produced from it.

Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis for Coffee Oil Chart.

 

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Castor Oil and Choice White Grease.

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Castor Oil & Choice White Grease 150 150 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Castor Oil & Choice White Grease

In this post we continue our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report. This week’s two feedstocks are Castor Oil and Choice White Grease. For more information and more feedstocks this is the main page of the feedstocks we have examined so far.

Castor Oil

Castor oil comes from Ricinus communis, known commonly as the castor bean plant. While the castor bean is not a real bean, it is called this due to the shape of the seeds.  These seeds consist of about 45-50% oil. Ricinus communis known commonly as Castor Bean plantRicinus communis is a fast-growing shrub type plant that can reach the size of a small tree. This perennial flowering plant is native to the southeastern Mediterranean Basin, Eastern Africa, and India, but grows easily throughout tropical regions. It is not a cold hardy plant, although in a suitable environment it can become invasive.  Castor bean plants are grown as ornamental plants throughout the world and are used extensively as a decorative plant in parks and public areas. The castor bean plan will grow rapidly in a single season, about 6-10’ tall. Ornamentally, it is most valued for its huge, palmately (having four or more lobes or leaflets radiating from a single point) 5-11 pointed lobes, toothed, glossy green leaves (each to 1-3’ across) and round, spikey, reddish-brown seed capsules. Small cup-shaped, greenish-yellow apetalous (lacking flower petals) spikes which are not particularly showy. Different cultivations of the plant result in dwarf and large plants, some with attractive reddish, bronze or purple leaves and bright and colorful flowers. Castor Beans contain about 45-50% oil

An additional benefit of this source of oil is that it doesn’t impact the food supply. The entire plant is poisonous, but has some reported medicinal uses. Other uses of the plant include being used as an insecticide against some ticks and food for silkworms. Castor oil has been used as a lubricant in engines for years, because of the high heat resistance it has historically been used in two-stroke engines.

 

 

 

 

Castor Oil and Bio-diesel sample

Castor Oil biodiesel Certificate of Analysis

Choice White Grease

The US Department of Agriculture defines Choice White Grease (CWG) as “A specific grade of mostly pork fat defined by hardness, color, fatty acid content, moisture, insolubles, unsaponifiables and free fatty acids.”

CWG is similar to beef tallow that we discussed in a previous week. It is an animal by-product, meaning that they are only produced in relation of raising the animal for meat or food production. As we can see from the picture it is a saturated fat and is at least partially solid at room temperature. This means that the resulting B100 biodiesel will have a higher cloud point.  CWG has historically been used as livestock feed. Additionally, using CWG for biodiesel gives pork producers an additional revenue and outlet for the product, helping elevate the return on investment for these farmers.

Choice White Grease and Bio-diesel sample

Choice White Grease biodiesel Certificate of Analysis

 

Last article for biodiesel feedstocks was Algae Oil and Canola Oil.

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Algae Oil & Canola Oil 150 150 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Algae Oil & Canola Oil

This post’s two oils are Algal Oil and Canola Oil.  If you would like to look ahead at some of the other feedstocks that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied, or if you would like to look a little more in-depth at the comparisons here is the link to the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report.   This is the main page of feedstocks we have looked at so far, and last weeks look at Borage Oil & Camelina Oil is here.  B20 Biodiesel (B20 stands for 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel)  is the drop in solution for reduced emissions in today’s modern diesel engines.  To understand what some of the alternate feedstocks that can be used for biodiesel, we are examining a report that Renewable Energy Group (REG) produced in 2009. All certificates of analysis and results are for B100.

Algal Oil

Algal Oil has a huge potential to be the next source of Biofuel feedstock. Among the many benefits is that algae can be grown in any environment that can contain water, and algae doesn’t carry the negative stigma of using a potential source of food to create a fuel.  In addition, you could use algae to clean up waste water and then use the fats to create the biodiesel. A recent study here is working on that concept. The U.S. Department of Energy has recently invested $2 million dollars into University of Michigan for research into algae as a diesel fuel. (see story here) The goal is to find high yield algae that produce a high grade bio crude for renewable diesel or biodiesel. Here is the YouTube video about the research.

The two diverse samples of crude algal oil, that were used in the report from 2009, were obtained from Solazyme, Inc.  This Company works with algae to produce renewable oils and ingredients for industries. The report doesn’t go into what kinds of algae was used or the process that they used to convert the algae to oil.

Biodiesel Certificate of Analysis for Algae Oil 1 Bio-diesel Certificate of Analysis for Algae Oil 2

Canola Oil

Canola is the seed of the species Brassica napus or Brassica campestris.Canola is the seed of the species Brassica napus Brassica Napus is also known as rape or rapeseed.  The name rape is derived from the Latin word for turnip, rapum.  Brassicaceae is the family of which mustard, cauliflower and cabbage belong.  The name Canola comes from the contraction of Canada and ola, meaning oil.  Developed in 1970s by researchers from the University of Manitoba and Agri-Food Canada, the use of the term Canola means that the oilseed meets certain standards.  The Official Definition of Canola is:

“Seeds of the genus Brassica (Brassica napusBrassica rapa or Brassica juncea) from which the oil shall contain less than 2% erucic acid in its fatty acid profile and the solid component shall contain less than 30 micromoles of any one or any mixture of 3-butenyl glucosinolate, 4-pentenyl glucosinolate, 2-hydroxy-3 butenyl glucosinolate, and 2-hydroxy- 4-pentenyl glucosinolate per gram of air-dry, oil-free solid.”

Government regulation requires Canola oil to to be limited to a maximum of 2% erucic acid these particular samples contains less than two percent erucic acid and the solid component contains less than 30 micromoles per gram of glucosinolates.

According to Reuters, “Rapeseed is the most produced oilseed in the EU.” This trend is gradually shifting to soya beans this article continues to explain. Currently 60 percent of the vegetable oil used in biodiesel comes from rapeseed oil in the EU.

Canola is the seed of the species Brassica napus

Certificate of Analysis from REG for Canola Oil based Bio-diesel

 

 

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Borage Oil & Camelina Oil 150 150 Star Oilco

BioDiesel Feedstocks – Borage Oil & Camelina Oil

This post continues our deeper look into different types of feedstock that Renewable Energy Group (REG) studied in 2009 in the Feedstock and Biodiesel Characteristics Report.  Different feedstocks give the resulting B100 biodiesel different characteristics.   This week’s two oils are Borage Oil and Camelina Oil.  If you would like to learn more about some of the other feedstocks please visit the main page of feedstocks we have looked at so far.

Borage Oil

Borage oil comes from the plant, Borago officinalis, also known as starflower. Borage officinalis Plant (starflower)The starflower is easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to light shade. In addition this plant tolerates poor soils and drought. It is native to Mediterranean region and is an annual that will continue to propagate itself in a garden by reseeding. The plant grows to 2 to 3 feet tall and the flowers are commonly blue, although pink and white flowers are commonly cultivated.  The flowering season is relatively long from June to September and in milder climates the starflower will bloom for most of the year.

The leaves are edible and the plant is commercially cultivated for its oil.  As a fresh vegetable it is said to have a cucumber-like taste and the flowers have a sweet taste.  It has the highest value of γ-linolenic acid in any readily available specialty oil.

Certificate of Analysis of Borage Oil. Borage Oil sample and Borage Biodiesel sample

Camelina Oil

Camelina oil comes from the plant, Camelina sativa, a member of the mustard family and a distant relative to canola. It is an annual flowering plant that grows well in temperate climates and it also has the common names of gold-of-pleasure and false flax. Camelina SativaThis flowering plant is native to Europe and Central Asian areas. Camelina plants grow from 1 to 3 feet tall, are heavily branched and produce seed pods with many small, oily seeds. Some varieties of camelina contain 38-40 % oil. Camelina can be grown in arid conditions and does not require significant amounts of fertilizer.

According to science direct:

“Camelina is adaptable to many different environmental conditions… Camelina an ideal crop for use on less productive lands and in areas without sufficient rainfall to support other crops. When produced under these circumstances, Camelina would not be displacing crops used for food production and positively addresses the food for fuel debate that often plagues the use of crop oils for fuel production.”

Camelina only requires a short growing season and they are fast growing. In 2009, the Navy purchased 40,000 gallons of jet fuel derived from camelina.

The oil is high in omega-3 fatty acid. This makes the oil great for biofuels and the resulting leftover meal a good option for livestock feed. Other uses for this plant consist of the oils being used in cosmetics, burnt in lamps, and herbal medicine. The seeds are edible and can be eaten raw in salads or mixed with water to create an egg substitute.

 

Camelina Oil Chart - Certificate of Analysis Camelina Oil and Camelina BioDiesel

 

Next weeks biodiesel feedstocks are Algae Oil and Canola Oil.

What Types of Feedstock Can Be Used To Make Biodiesel? 150 150 Star Oilco

What Types of Feedstock Can Be Used To Make Biodiesel?

To answer what feedstocks can be used to make biodiesel we need to first answer – What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is created through a process called transesterification.  Transecterification is when an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol is added to an oil or fat.  This creates methyl esters and glycerin.  Methyl esters is the scientific name of Biodiesel.  Because biodiesel needs a fat or an oil to start with, this fuel can can be created with any number of feedstocks.  If you would like to learn more about Biodiesel check out this for more questions about biodiesel.

According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy:

“A feedstock is defined as any renewable, biological material that can be used directly as a fuel, or converted to another form of fuel or energy product. Biomass feedstocks are the plant and algal materials used to derive fuels like ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, and other hydrocarbon fuels. Examples of biomass feedstocks include corn starch, sugarcane juice, crop residues  such as corn stover and sugarcane bagasse, purpose-grown grass crops, and woody plants. “

Renewable Energy Group (REG) performed a study in 2009 with the support of the Iowa Power Fund Board and the Iowa Office of Energy Independence that tested 36 individual feed-stocks.  Star Oilco will be spotlighting these feedstocks through our blog and our social media. The full report can be found on their site if you would like to read ahead or explore the results in more depth. We hope you find these as interesting as we did!

Bio-diesel and Feed-stock samples at REG

Above photo taken at REG headquarters in Ames, Iowa.

This first blog highlights the following 2 types of feed-stock:

Babussa Oil & Beef Tallow

Babassu Oil

Attalea speciosa

Babassu oil is extracted from the seeds of the babassu palm tree, Attalea speciosa, an evergreen tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone (UK) 10 and is not frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by bees and other insects. The tree is common in Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras; it grows well in areas typically cultivated for coconut or palm. The kernels contain 60-70% oil, appear transparent, and smell like walnuts. In its natural form the oil is liquid at 20-30°C (68 – 86°F). The seeds are edible and the oil is used in margarine, soaps, detergents, lamp oil and skin products. Oil extraction results in a cake containing 15-25% protein (depending on the shell content), which is a valuable feedstuff.

In February 2008, Babassu palm oil and coconut oil were blended with jet fuel to power a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 during a test flight from London’s Heathrow to Amsterdam.

Babassu oil is extracted from the seeds of the babassu palm treeBabassu Oil Chart

Beef Tallow

Tallow is a rendered form of the waste fats and greases from processing beef. Rendering is a process by which lipid material is separated from meat tissue and water under heat and pressure. Beef tallow is primarily made up of triglycerides and it is solid at room temperature. The B100 that is created from this source has a very high cloud point. “Cloud point is the temperature at which wax (paraffin) begins to separate when oil chilled to a low temperature, and it serves as an important indicator of practical performance in automotive applications in low temperatures.”  (Source)  The other uses for tallow include animal feed, soap, cooking and in the past, candles.

Beef Tallow Animal tissue is converted to tallow using rendering; a process by which lipid material is separated from meat tissue and water under heat and pressure.Beef Tallow Chart

 

Article 2 Feedstock : Borage Oil & Camelina Oil

Article 3 Feedstock : Algae Oil & Canola Oil.

Article 4 Feedstock : Castor Oil and Choice White Grease

Article 5 Feedstock : Coconut Oil and Coffee Oil

Article 6 Feedstock : Evening Primrose Oil and Fish Oil

Article 7 Feedstocks : Hemp Oil & High IV and Low IV Hepar

Article 8 Feedstocks : Jatropha Oil, Jojoba Oil, & Karania Oil

Article 9 Feedstocks : Lesquerella Oil & Linseed Oil

Article 10 Feedstocks – Moringa Oil & Neem Oil

Article 11 Feedstocks – Palm Oil & Perilla Seed Oil

Article 12 Feedstocks – Poultry Fat & Rice Bran Oil

Article 13 Feedstocks – Soybean Oil & Stillingia Oil

Article 14 Feedstocks – Sunflower Oil & Tung Oil