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In the case of diesel fuel (and biodiesel), the responsibility for setting standards lies within ASTM Committee D02 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants. In order to assure that the standards are rigorous and robust, ASTM committee D02 is comprised of fuel producers, engine equipment manufacturers, and third party interests (users, government agencies, consultants). ASTM
also uses a complicated ballot process in which a single negative vote
is enough to defeat a ballot, so this is a true consensus organization.
An ASTM standard is not easily achieved. Some standards can take over
10 years to gain agreement and be issued by ASTM. This rigorous, time-consuming
process is why ASTM standards are recognized and adopted by others worldwide. ASTM
fuel standards are the minimum accepted values for properties of the fuel
to provide adequate customer satisfaction and/or protection. For diesel
fuel, the ASTM standard is ASTM D 975. All engine and fuel injection manufacturers
design their engines around ASTM D 975. In cooperative discussions with
the engine community early in the biodiesel industry's development, engine
manufacturers strongly encouraged the biodiesel industry to develop an
ASTM standard for biodiesel fuel which would allow them to provide their
customers with a more definitive judgment on how the fuel would affect
engine and fuel system operations compared to ASTM D 957 fuel for which
an engine was designed. In
June of 1994, a task force was formed within ASTM Subcommittee E on Burner,
Diesel, Non-Aviation Gas Turbine, and Marine Fuels of ASTM Committee D02,
with the expressed objective of developing an ASTM standard for biodiesel.
The biodiesel standard, ASTM PS 121-99, was approved by Subcommittee E,
and subsequently issued by ASTM in June of 1999 (for copies, see the ASTM
web site at www.astm.org). In December of 2001, ASTM approved the full
standard for biodiesel, with the new designation of D-6751 (succeeds PS
121-99). This standard covers pure biodiesel (B100), for blending with
petrodiesel in levels up to 20% by volume. Higher levels of biodiesel
are allowed on a case-by-case basis after discussion with the individual
engine company, since most of the experience in the US thus far has been
with B20 blends. The
approval of this biodiesel standard, and the technical reviews necessary
to secure its approval, has provided both the engine community and customers
with the information needed to assure trouble free operation with biodiesel
blends. Engine
Warranties Typically,
an engine company will define what fuel the engine was designed for and
will recommend the use of that fuel to their customers in their owner's
manuals. Engine
companies do not manufacture fuel or fuel components. Therefore, engine
companies do not warranty fuel - whether that fuel is biodiesel or petrodiesel
fuel. Since engine manufacturers warranty the materials and workmanship
of their engines, they do not warranty fuel of any kind. If there are
engine problems caused by a fuel (again, whether that fuel is petrodiesel
fuel or biodiesel fuel) these problems are not related to the materials
or workmanship of the engine, but are the responsibility of the fuel supplier
and not the engine manufacturer. Any reputable fuel supplier (biodiesel,
petrodiesel, or a blend of both) should stand behind its products and
cover any fuel quality problems if they occur. Therefore,
the most important aspect regarding engine warranties and biodiesel is
whether an engine manufacturer will void its parts and workmanship warranty
when biodiesel is used, and whether the fuel producer or marketer will
stand behind its fuels should problems occur. Most
major engine companies have stated formally that the use of blends up
to B20 will not void their parts and workmanship warranties. This includes
blends below 20% biodiesel, such as the 2% biodiesel blends that are becoming
more common. Several statements from the engine companies are available
on the NBB website. Some engine companies have already specified that
the biodiesel must meet ASTM D-6751 as a condition, while others are still
in the process of adopting D-6751 within their company or have their own
set of guidelines for biodiesel use that were developed prior to the approval
of D-6751. It is anticipated that the entire industry will incorporate
the ASTM biodiesel standard into their owner's manuals over time. The National Biodiesel Board, the trade association for the biodiesel industry, has formed the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission (NBAC) to audit fuel producers and marketers in order to enforce fuel quality standards in the US. NBAC issues a 'Certified Biodiesel Marketer' seal of approval for biodiesel marketers that have met all requirements of fuel accreditation audits. This
seal of approval will provide added assurance to customers, as well as
engine manufacturers, that the biodiesel marketed by these companies meets
the ASTM standards for biodiesel and that the fuel supplier will stand
behind its products. With biodiesel that meets the D-6751 specification, there have been over 45 million miles of successful, problem-free, real-world operation with B20 blends in a wide variety of engines, climates, and applications. The steps taken by the biodiesel industry to work with the engine companies and to ensure that fuel meets the newly accepted ASTM standards provides confidence to users and engine manufacturers that their biodiesel experiences will be positive and trouble-free.
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Information provided by The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) {800} 841.5849 www.biodiesel.org / SeQuential Biofuels www.qfuels.com © 2003 Mead Biofuel 360.376.4855 |
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