Biodiesel shelf life
 

B100 biodiesel (FAME, not the pure veggie oil stuff) apparently degrades over time.

Does anyone here have experience B100 that had been stored a long time - say up to and beyond half a year ?

The last 6 months, I've used some 800L of B5 diesel.
If I want to blend B100 and B5 to get B10, I only need 40L of B100 / 6 months - hardly worth the effort to go get it.

http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/f...yths_Facts.pdf
says 6 months, while a bio diesel forum I read said that the department of energy says it should last no less then 8 months and a year under good conditions.

I used some stuff that was 6 months old, not stored in the best conditions, but not bad conditions, and it worked fine. FWIW.

So what's the deal on this Euro? Going to buy someone's unused BioD? If it's in like carboy containers, you can see how it's settled out or you can do a 3/27 test on it to check the quality.

Dave

Nope.
Getting a small stock when I get near a pump with good BD.
It's not generally available here, so it takes some effort and travelling to get it.

The small amounts I could add to a custom blend (I'd start with B10 as we're already using B5) means the B100 will stand for a while until all of it is used.

Oh, I see! What vehicle are you driving? Please pardon my American ignorance!:D 47MPG is that all around commuting?

Thanks,
Dave:thumbup:

A Volvo V50, but with a small 1.6 L diesel engine (109 HP).

2011 Volvo V50 Wagon

That's my everyday driving.
Commuting, leisure, to the shopping mall, anything anyone would use a car for.

Sweet! Can you run BioD in a '11 Volvo Diesel? More than B20?

Dave

Mine's a 2005, but no, the limit is 5% RME according to Volvo.
Engine manufacturer PSA (Peugeot-Citroën) sets the limit at B30 with DPF, if you also double the oil change frequency (due to oil dilution).

I went back to look at the specs on the V50, looks like the only engine is the 5cyl turbo gasser in the U.S..............TOOOOOOOOOOOBAAAAAAAAAAD!

...does this mean the Diesel Pumps will have to have a "Best if Used by..." date (wink,wink)!!!

Tele,

Too Funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D;);)

The storage question is relevant to me as well. Ever since reading about the ruinously expensive hpfp problems caused by caustic diesel, I've been looking for b1, b2, or b5--but all I can find is b100 sellers 40 miles away who are hard to get in touch with.

I'm not even sure I'll be able to buy it in quantities as low as 3 gallons--which should be a six month supply at b2 mixing rates. Where do people normally get this stuff?

What car do you have ?

In Europe, all regular pump diesel is B5 these days, so you can safely run a 5% blend.

I'm confident that both b2 and b5 will work in my mkvi golf tdi--but i can't find either of those here in Florida. There seems to be no list of stations that provide them, only a list for b20 and up--and that's a very small list.

The Mk. VI is the current model, so it probably comes with a diesel particulate filter ?
A DPF rules out B100 with the current set-ups :mad:

What biodiesel blend you can run can be found in the car's manual.

You'd be better off getting good quality B100 and make your own blend.

Just fill up a few 5 gallon containers & mix it yourself. Almost all states have mandated a B1 at least for the REG D2. That was according to Biodiesel magazine of last year. Some states even higher mandated mix!

Dave

The problem with buying 5gal of B100 and mixing my own is that water also seems to be very bad for the hpfp. B100 is highly hygroscopic, and here in Florida we have around 120% humidity most of the time. I'd never be able to use up the biodiesel before it was 50% water.

Do you have a list of states that mandate B1, or some reference? I'd like to know if FL is included, and I'm having trouble finding anything authoritative.

Do a google search on that or Biodiesel Magazine. I will do the same.
.
Brake fluid absorbs water at an alarming rate, but as long as it's in a sealed container it's fine. Also w/ BioD water settles to the bottom esp if it's fuel grade quality.

Under State Biodiesel Mandates,

There seems to be only 7 states that currently have legislation. Fl. is not one.
But this went into use in Jan 1, 2010. More states were hopefully on the way.

I found a a 5 gallon cubie last summer filled with 100% bio diesel that somehow got shoved behind all my barrels in my garage It had been there at least a year but probably longer judging by the amount of dust on it- poured it in my tank and was on my way nothing ever happened, the container was sealed well and was filled almost to the top so i assumed no water had gotten to it

I've always heard diesel can go bad from water absorption too but never found this to be the case, I ran diesel out of a bulldozer that was parked in 1977 in my 300d, filtered out the sediment and it ran fine too!

A friend ran his 82 rabbit on 400 gallons of home heating fuel that was at least 5 years old. Didn't know what to do with the fuel, so he bought a Rabbit and away he went riding off into the sunset.:turtle: He just ran it through a sock filter first.

Water is heavier then oil/fuel!