Biodiesel, also referred to as fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), is a renewable and biodegradable fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats as well as recycled cooking greases and oils. A quick and accurate test method is highly desirable as quality control for producers, blenders and distributors of diesel fuel.
This application note details how the PerkinElmer Spectrum Two™ FTIR Spectrometer with the PIKE Technologies MIRacle 9 bounce diamond/ZnSe ATR accessory can provide a rugged, accurate and portable analyzer to determine biodiesel content in diesel fuel according to ASTM D7371. The calibration models developed for this application can be supplied as a starter calibration with the potential for rapid optimization of an analyzer in the field without the need for full recalibration.