With more and more blends of biodiesel and ethanol available out there, especially with government tax incentives and regulations based on the percentage of the biofuel, it’s more important than ever for producers and users to know what they are putting in their tanks. Enter the InfraCal Blend Analyzer.

This post on EnvironmentalExpert.com says the analyzers from Connecticut-based Wilks Enterprises are rugged, compact, portable and easy to use by non-technical personnel, while providing readouts of the percentages of biodiesel and ethanol in the blends just about anywhere in less than a minute:

The InfraCal Blend Analyzers are fixed-filter infrared analyzers that, unlike FTIR spectrometers, have no moving parts and an insignificant optical air path making them portable, rugged and suitable for use in a field environment. Weighing less than 5 lbs., they can be operated from a battery pack or a cigarette lighter adapter cable and include an RS 232 interface for data transmission to a PC. For analysis, the fuel sample is placed directly on the exposed ATR sample window, a “run” button is selected and the result is display in 15 seconds. After analysis; the fuel is easily cleaned off with a wipe. Biodiesel has a characteristic infrared absorption band at 5.7 microns (1754 cm-1) and ethanol at 9.6 microns (1045 cm-1).

The analyzers are good up to B100 or 98 percent ethanol.