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Blending
Blending is the preferred method of vehicle owners and equipment operators to maximize the benefits of biodiesel and offsetting the cost differential with petroleum diesel. Blends of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel, commonly known as B20 is being sold at gas stations and marinas nationwide. Common method for blending fuels is known the splash method where as you add biodiesel over petroleum diesel and with little agitation you have blended fuel. You can blend at any percentage you wish. Obviously a richer blend of biodiesel maximizes environmental benefits. It is recommended that you start with a 20% blend and slowly increase to a richer blend, because biodiesel is a biological solvent and will dissolve and dislodge any petroleum sludge or carbon deposits in your fuel system. Changing your fuel filter will likely be necessary after you initial few uses of biodiesel.

“Low Blends” of Biodiesel: A Guide to Different Blend Levels
Biodiesel has become a valuable blending component with diesel fuel at low percentage blends because of biodiesel’s “premium” aspects. Pure biodiesel has high lubricity, high cetane, and a high flash point. “Low blend” can be defined as blends of 5% and below. Even low blends of biodiesel are highly effective at enhancing the lubricity of diesel fuel. The typical blend used for lubricity enhancement is 2% biodiesel mixed with 98% diesel (B2).

Several commercial “premium diesel” products have incorporated the positive benefits of biodiesel as a component of their multi-functional additive packages. These products typically claim that biodiesel serves as the carrier for the additive and delivers the lubricity properties, making up half of the total additive volume.

These types of marketing messages often confuse the customer about the percentage volume of biodiesel in the finished blend. Generally, dosing rates for these types of additives is a maximum .25%. If biodiesel (methyl esters) makes up approximately half of the additive package, a customer could reasonably expect the finished blend to contain .10 - .15% biodiesel (or one-tenth of one percent).

Blends of up to 5% biodiesel are considered additive volumes. B5 meets the ASTM specification for diesel fuel, D 975. (Blends of up to B20 can meet D 975, however, as blend concentrations increase, there is a higher chance for distortion of some of the test method results which were designed for diesel fuel rather than biodiesel. Hence, all biodiesel (B100) should meet ASTM’s biodiesel standard, D 6751, prior to blending with diesel fuel at any level.)

Why B2? Lubricity data indicates that 2% blends of biodiesel offer the highest amount of lubricity benefit for the least incremental cost. Testing has shown that 2% blends of biodiesel can provide any type of distillate fuel with sufficient lubricity.

Many independent petroleum distributors have embraced biodiesel as a liquid fuel that can be complimentary to their conventional petroleum products, and integrated profitably into their operations and product lines. The National Biodiesel Board believes that the success of biodiesel as a fuel will depend upon the extent to which it can be successfully integrated into the existing national liquid fuel energy infrastructure. NBB is a Platinum Partner of the Petroleum Marketer’s Association of America (PMAA), and has committed to work cooperatively with petroleum distributors and marketers on technical, marketing, and regulatory issues pertaining to biodiesel. NBB and its member organizations have also begun outreach efforts to cooperate on regional technical, regulatory, and educational initiatives with state petroleum

Recommended Blending Ratios for Biodiesel in Boat Fuel
Biodiesel mixes easily with diesel as a fuel additive for use in blends of up to 20% with regular petroleum diesel. Add 5 gallons (one 5-gallon container) of Biodiesel to every 20 gallons of petrodiesel to achieve a 20% blend, or use the blending chart printed on the container back label. Biodiesel mixes quickly with petrodiesel once the boat ismoving. Biodiesel is a little heavier than the petroleum with has a specific gravity of 0.87 compared to 0.79-0.80 typical of reformulated petrodiesels.

Higher concentrations, up to 100% (neat) Biodiesel, are used in Europe to operate diesel engines in boats and vehicles with good performance results and excellent emissions reductions. However, until new Federal and State laws defining diesel fuel specifications are mandated to accommodate the unique properties of vegetable methyl esters, Biodiesel will only be sold as an additive for use in boat engines at ratios not to exceed 20%. In France, all diesel sold for vehicle fuel in the entire country ranges from 1% up to 5% rapeseed Biodiesel in a blend and some urban buses routinely operate on a 30% blend. In Germany, where the price of Biodiesel (tax exempt) is similar to petroleum diesel (with taxes), over 350 fuel stations offer Biodiesel for sale to motorists and Biodiesel is used in tour boats on their lakes.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS:
Lubricity: Lubricating characteristic of diesel fuel necessary to keep diesel fuel injection systems properly lubricated. Click here for lubricity fact sheet.
Cetane: Measure of combustion efficiency in a diesel engine. Similar to octane in a gasoline engine.
Flash point: Temperature at which fuel “autocombusts” under pressure. A flash point that is too low can cause injector failure, fires, or even explosions. The higher a fuel’s flash point, the safer it is to store and handle. Biodiesel has a flash point of approximately twice that of diesel fuel.
B2: A blend of 2% biodiesel and 98% diesel fuel. (e.g. B5 equals a 5% blend, B10 equals 10% biodiesel.)
Premium Diesel: A diesel fuel containing one or more performance properties exceeding regular diesel fuel standards. These properties typically include: lubricity, cetane, energy content, fuel injector cleanliness, low temperature operability, or stability.