Just a couple of more days until the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida, and I’m looking forward to meeting all of the biodiesel movers and shakers I’ve had the pleasure to blog about for the last year.

One of the best things about a conference like this is all the new information that will debut… including the results of testing BioExtend , a high-performance antioxidant for biodiesel fuels that increases shelf life and enhances product protection. This Eastman Chemical Company (maker of BioExtend) press release gives us a glimpse at what we’ll be seeing at the conference:

“We are eager to share our test data at the 2008 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo,” says [Dr. Sharon Cline, Eastman’s BioExtend technology leader]. “Eastman hopes the new findings will help the marketplace make informed decisions on how to improve the oxidative stability of biodiesel.”

The testing explored a number of factors that affect the natural oxidative stability of biodiesel including feedstock choice, the production process, product handling, and contaminants. The impact of metal contamination was investigated using the Oil Stability Index (OSI) as a measure of oxidative stability. Biodiesel handling issues, including air intrusion, UV exposure and storage temperature, was also investigated. In addition to OSI, UV absorbance, peroxide value, and Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) were measured.

You can check out the results for yourself at booths 119-218 on Monday, Feb. 4, 2008 from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.