biodiesel in the winter

[sam2007]

I have been using power service Arctic formula and B50 its been below 20 at night and 40 something in the day time, no problem as of this time. is bio in the winter not a good idea? my thinking is with the motor so cold in the morning bio"s anti scuff properties would help.

 

[Lightflyer1]

Not a good idea to run B100 in the winter as bio will gel sooner than diesel. Using lower percent mixtures is the usual approach to cold temps. What to mix down to and adding additives depends on a lot of things though. The bio you use, the additives you use, the coldest temps you expect to see. Additives for diesel don't allways work on bio.

 

[Lug_Nut]

What is the feed stock of the bio portion of your blend? If it's tropical oils or animal based (palm, coconut, or chicken fat) the temperature at which a B50 mix will begin to gel will be higher than a B50 mix made of lighter oils like canola or mustard.
F.W.I.W.: I'd run B50, without additives, down to about zero F. My bio is from reclaimed cooking oil sources so it's a mix, but mostly soy based. Your bio, from a different supplier, will likely have it's own properties and treatment requirements, but in my experience, B50 is safe from gelling to well below the lowest you've mentioned.

The anti-wear properties of bio are overhyped in my opinion. The fuel contacts the pump internals only. If diesel were that abrasive that bio at the touted 2% ratio made that much of a difference in pump life, then I doubt that there would be ANY 300k mile diesel that never used any bio additive.

 

[ecodean]

Put your biodiesel in a clear jar and put it in the freezer and see if it gels. I used to keep a jar of my biodiesel outside to see if it was gelling on colder nights.

 

[sam2007]

I only buy from the large commercial stations here [downs energy] in corona ca.its large production soy bio.i have been reading about grease cars and some home brew can wreck a good tdi motor. for a change i took a 30 min trip to Fullerton ca.to try some new station not my usual station this one is far out of the way, thought i would give it a tryout [propel fuels] .meager B20 and did a fill up with the fuels listed below my tdi ran [very good] and this stuff smells good
Renewable Diesel

What is it?
Also know as Green Diesel, like bio diesel, renewable diesel is sourced from sustainable oil feedstocks, used to produce a synthetic diesel product suitable for all diesel motors. Renewable diesel is manufactured to have the same chemical properties as petroleum diesel and can therefore be stored, sold and consumed using existing petroleum diesel technology. A wide-range of raw materials may be used to produce renewable diesel from plant oils to tallow or waste fats from rendering facilities

What is the feed stock of the bio portion of your blend? If it's tropical oils or animal based (palm, coconut, or chicken fat) the temperature at which a B50 mix will begin to gel will be higher than a B50 mix made of lighter oils like canola or mustard.
F.W.I.W.: I'd run B50, without additives, down to about zero F. My bio is from reclaimed cooking oil sources so it's a mix, but mostly soy based. Your bio, from a different supplier, will likely have it's own properties and treatment requirements, but in my experience, B50 is safe from gelling to well below the lowest you've mentioned.

The anti-wear properties of bio are overhyped in my opinion. The fuel contacts the pump internals only. If diesel were that abrasive that bio at the touted 2% ratio made that much of a difference in pump life, then I doubt that there would be ANY 300k mile diesel that never used any bio additive.

biodiesel
New Leaf Biofuel, a San Diego-based biodiesel production company, creates renewable biodiesel from waste products or recycled sources. New Leaf sources waste grease from local restaurants and processes and refines the waste oil into high-quality biodiesel. Since Propel strives to source the most local and sustainable fuels available, we’re proud to partner with New Leaf to offer high-quality, waste-based biodiesel at select Southern California Propel locations.

 

[TDI4evah]

If you make your own biodiesel you can leave it outside in cubies and let it go through a couple of freeze-thaw cycles. The higher freezing point portion settles out. Pour off the still-liquid part on top and you have the lowest temperature BD you can get.

I've also found that adding 10 - 20 percent pump diesel seems to help it settle out.

There are some anti-gels available for biodiesel, but it's highly variable how much they help. I've had BD they didn't help at all, and others where they helped by 10 degrees or so.

Lastly, it's easy enough - if making your own - to keep some of whatever mix you're using in a jar left outside to know when you're likely to have a problem.