Measuring the amount of biodiesel have been limited to Methods D7371 and EN 14078 which required FTIR spectrometers, putting expensive equipment in precarious positions either on a loading dock or in a truck. That’s why maker of analytical equipment, including biodiesel analyzers, Wilks is now backing the move to the ASTM D7861 biodiesel blend method and has the hardware that fits the bill.

Filter-based infrared analyzers, such as the Wilks InfraCal 2 Biodiesel Blend Analyzer and InfraSpec VFA-IR Spectrometer, are rugged, compact and much better suited for the environment where fuels are blended. Therefore, Wilks championed the new ASTM D7861 method which provides a fast, easy-to-use and inexpensive infrared method for measuring biodiesel (FAME-Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) in biodiesel.

The InfraSpec VFA-IR Spectrometer is a spectral range analyzer which contains a linear variable filter and a detector array covering the wavelength range of 5.4-10.8 μm (1850-925 cm-1) making it compliant with the instrument requirements of ASTM D7861. The InfraSpec Spectrometer can not only measure biodiesel in diesel, but also ethanol in gasoline and water in ethanol. It is a compact, portable instrument with a simplified PC interface that provides non-technical personnel with the ability to make measurements on-site at the blending terminal, fuel pump or laboratory where an ASTM method is required. The PC interface also provides data storage and transmission and the Wavemetrics Igor Pro package gives more sophisticated users the option to go beyond the simplified user interface for full spectral analyses. The test takes less than a minute and the measurement range is 0 to 100% with an accuracy of +/- 0.20 %.

Wilks also offers the InfraCal 2 Biodiesel Blend Analyzer, a rugged, compact, fixed-filter infrared analyzer. While is does not comply with D7861, results compare with D7371, EN 14078, and the new D7861 biodiesel blend methods.