Effect of in Vehicle Storage On B10 Diesel Quality

The oxidation stability of diesel fuel containing Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) is considerably reduced in comparison to conventional diesel. In general, a minimum stability requirement is defined for biodiesel fuels at the point of sale after which aging may occur during storage and use, affecting quality when consumed.

Such changes can result in formation of insoluble materials and acids, which may create materials compatibility issues, filter plugging, corrosion, durability problems and deposit formation. At present, the rate of fuel aging and the factors that affect aging during vehicle storage have not been adequately investigated. Results of this study show that the aging rate is strongly dependent on storage conditions, with large variations between vehicle types. Particularly rapid changes in stability occurred in passenger vehicles compared to light-duty vans.

The study raises a number of questions that require further study, including why such large variation occurred between different vehicle designs and also why the rate of biodiesel aging decreased following very rapid change in the first weeks.