Sorry,
EMA is a worldwide organization, not just the US makers. I was thinking of the old DEMA...

Mid-weight alcohol: Propanol, butanol.

As of 2004, there is a European industry norm (EN 14214) governing biodiesel composition:

English:
http://www.ebony-solutions.co.uk/specs_pren.html

German:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIN_EN_14214

However, this covers only the guaranteed properties of B100, not those of any particular blend. Standardized fuel is a prerequisite for biodiesel certification testing in actual vehicles, which is not yet standard even for new vehicles.

Biodiesel requires greater resilience of the fuel system, especially the eleastomers. Fuel pumps depending on fuel lubricity (unit injectors used by VW, common rail by other manufacturers) can exhibit premature wear. Biodiesel also finds its way into the engine oil during cold starts. Optional passenger compartment heaters for winter operation may not be compatible with biodiesel even if the engine is.

B100 is problematic as it is prone to biological contamination, especially in rarely used vehicles. It may also damage corrosion inhibiting zinc layers in the tank. Small blend fractions of mineral diesel suppress both of these complications.

Car and truck owners should therefore consult their dealer before filling up on biodiesel (blends). This may take some perseverance as the topic is fairly new to many dealers and manufacturers. In some cases, only special versions or vehicles with suitable retrofits are cleared for biodiesel use.

This Wikipedia entry (in German) has detail on biodiesel risks that have not yet made it into the english version:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel

Ed -

mineral diesel is pretty toxic to microorganisms, so it's quite possible that even a 1% fraction is enough to suppress that problem. Wrt the corriosion issue, I suspect 1% might not be enough, but the blender may also add specific corrosion inhibitors.

In general, this industry needs to walk before it can run. Vehicle manufacturers need time to develop and perform certifications tests and, to gain operational experience wrt to long-term effects. For example, Bosch was unable to clear biodiesel for use in its unit injectors (used in VW diesels) when it became apparent that the fuel caused excessive wear after a number of years (low lubricity).

Similarly, fuel handling and storage could yet throw a curveball, especially in climates that differe substantially from those in Europe where the fuel has a longer track record. For example, microorganisms in some other part of the world might be more resilient against mineral diesel, or mutate into strains that are.

For all of these reasons, a prudent energy policy encourages using biodiesel as an additive initially (e.g. B5 to B20) and ramping up the fraction slowly over time. This should be done broadly to ensure potential problems come to light, but also to achieve the desired environmental and energy security objectives. Besides, if everyone ends up having to chip in (because pure mineral diesel becomes unavailable), no-one gets a free ride. This would do more to increase market share for biofuels than a few ultra-green individuals insisting on B100 (or E100 instead of gasoline) ever will.

The trouble is, US oil companies are unwilling to blend in biodiesel because in the current structure it reduces their bottom line and/or increases their operations risk. Politically, they are too powerful for Congress to force them to do much of anything - quite the reverse may be true.

Dear Sir,

I am student in Hong Kong, studying chemical engineering.

Can palm oil made bio-diesel meet the EN14214 standard? How about ASTM D6751?

Is that true that ASTM D6751 has no requirement for the cloud point, but EN14214 does?

Best regards,
Adam