Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The BIOREMA project—Part 2: International interlaboratory comparison for biodiesel test methods

  • Practitioner's Report
  • Published:
Accreditation and Quality Assurance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The results of an interlaboratory comparison, using various measurement methods to carry out biodiesel testing, are presented and the findings are discussed. The interlaboratory comparison was organised within the framework of an EU-funded project called BIOREMA. A general overview of the project and results of an interlaboratory comparison on bioethanol are published as Part 1 and 2 of this series of papers. In the study presented here, reference values, provided by national metrology institutes and expert laboratories, were used for evaluating the results. Consensus values, derived from the results of all participants, were used to assess any bias between the results from the national metrology institutes and testing laboratories. The emphasis in this interlaboratory comparison was not the performance rating of the individual laboratories, but recognising and interpreting differences caused by the measurement methods applied. For most biodiesel parameters, a good agreement of measurement results was found among different methods, and between the consensus and reference values. The study material was a rapeseed oil fatty acid methyl ester, for which it was demonstrated that it is feasible to prepare and characterise reference materials for biodiesel with well-established reference values for many parameters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

References

  1. White paper on internationally compatible biofuel standards. Tripartite Task Force, Brazil, European Union and United States of America. Dec 2007 http://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/biofuels/doc/standard/2007_white_paper_icbs.pdf

  2. Baldan A, Ent H, Van der Veen AMH, Held A, Ulberth-Buchgraber M, Daroda RJ, Cunha VS, Wise SA, Schantz M, Brewer PJ, Brown RJC, O’Connor G (2012) The BIOREMA project—part 1: Towards international comparability for biofuels. Accred Qual Assur. doi:10.1007/s00769-012-0946-7 (this issue)

  3. Van der Veen AMH, Ent H, Baldan A, da Cunha VS, Daroda RJ, Lang B, Schantz M, Ulberth-Buchgraber M, Held A, Hearn R, Brown RJC, Brewer PJ (2012) The BIOREM project—part 3: International interlaboratory comparison for bio-ethanol test methods. Accred Qual Assur. doi:10/1007/s00769-012-0945-8 (this issue)

  4. ISO/IEC 17043 (2010) Conformity assessment—general requirements for proficiency testing. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  5. ISO Guide 34 (2009) General requirements for the competence of reference materials producers. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  6. ISO Guide 35 (2006) Reference materials—general and statistical principles for certification. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  7. EN 14214 (2008 + A1:2009) Automotive fuels: Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) for diesel engines: Requirements and test methods. European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  8. Ulberth-Buchgraber M, Potalivo M, Emteborg H, Held A (2011) Toward the development of certified reference materials for effective biodiesel testing. Part 1: processing, homogeneity, and stability. Energy Fuels 25:4622–4629

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. ASTM D6751 (2011) Standard specification for biodiesel fuel blend stock (B100) for middle distillate fuels. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lamberty A, Schimmel H, Pauwels J (1998) The study of stability of reference materials by isochronous measurements. Fresenius’ J Anal Chem 360:359–361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. ISO 12185 (1996) Crude petroleum and petroleum products—determination of density—oscillating U-tube method. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  12. ISO 15212-1 (1998) Oscillation-type density meters—Part 1: laboratory instruments. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  13. ISO 3104 (1994) Petroleum products—transparent and opaque liquids—determination of kinematic viscosity and calculation of dynamic viscosity. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  14. EN 14110 (2003) Fat and oil derivatives. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Determination of methanol content. European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  15. EN 14103 (2003) Fat and oil derivates—fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)—determination of acid value. European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  16. EN 14111 (2003) Oil and fat derivatives—fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)—determination of iodine value. European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  17. ISO 3679 (2004) Determination of flash point—rapid equilibrium closed cup method. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  18. EN 14112 (2003) Fat and oil derivatives. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Determination of oxidation stability (accelerated oxidation test). European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  19. EN 14104 (2003) Fat and oil derivatives. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Determination of acid value. European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  20. EN 14105 (2003) Fat and oil derivatives. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Determination of free and total glycerol and mono-, di-, triglyceride contents (Reference method). European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  21. ISO/IEC Guide 98-3 (2008) Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  22. Pauwels J, Van der Veen AMH, Lamberty A, Schimmel H (2000) Evaluation of uncertainty of reference materials. Accred Qual Assur 5:95–99

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. ISO/IEC 17025 (2005) General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  24. ISO 5725-1 (1994) Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—Part 1: general principles and definition. Statistical methods for quality control, vol 2. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, pp 9–29

  25. ISO 5725-2 (1994) Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—Part 2: basic method for the determination of repeatability and reproducibility of a standard measurement method. Statistical methods for quality control, vol 2. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, pp 30–74

  26. ISO 3675 (1998) Crude petroleum and liquid petroleum products—Laboratory determination of density—Hydrometer method. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  27. ASTM D4052 (2009) Standard test method for density, relative density, and API gravity of liquids by digital density meter. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken

  28. ASTM D5453 (2009) Standard test method for determination of total sulfur in light hydrocarbons, spark ignition engine fuel, diesel engine fuel, and engine oil by ultraviolet fluorescence. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken

  29. ISO 20846 (2004) Petroleum products—determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels—ultraviolet fluorescence method. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  30. ISO 20884 (2004) Petroleum products—determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels—wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  31. Knothe G (2006) Analyzing biodiesel: standards and other methods. JAOCS 83:823–833

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. EN 15486 (2007) Ethanol as a blending component for petrol. Determination of sulfur content. Ultraviolet fluorescence method. European Committee for Standardization, Brussels

  33. IP 490 (2005) Petroleum products—determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels—ultraviolet fluorescence method. (Identical Standards: BS 2000-490: 2011; EN ISO 20846: 2011; ISO 20846: 2011). Institute of Petroleum Standards, GB

  34. ASTM D93 (2010) Standard test methods for flash point by Pensky-Martens closed cup tester. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken

  35. ISO 2719 (2002) Determination of flash point—Pensky-Martens closed cup method. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva

  36. Mittelbach M, Remschmidt C (2006) Biodiesel: the comprehensive handbook, 3rd edn. M. Mittelbach, Graz, Austria

  37. ASTM D664 (2009) Standard test method for acid number of petroleum products by potentiometric titration. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken

  38. ASTM D6584 (2010) Standard test method for determination of total monoglyceride, total diglyceride, total triglyceride, and free and total glycerin in B-100 biodiesel methyl esters by gas chromatography. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper has been carried out within the frame of the BIOREMA project, which has been funded by the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission under contract no. 219081.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Monica Potalivo

    Present address: Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale (ISPRA), Servizio Metrologia Ambientale, Via di Castel Romano 100, 00128, Rome, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Retieseweg 111, 2440, Geel, Belgium

    Manuela Ulberth-Buchgraber, Monica Potalivo & Andrea Held

  2. VSL, Thijsseweg 11, 2629 JA, Delft, The Netherlands

    Annarita Baldan, Adriaan M. H. van der Veen & Hugo Ent

  3. Chemical Metrology Division, National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO), Av. Nossa Senhora das Graças 50, CEP 25250020, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Valnei S. Cunha & Romeu J. Daroda

  4. Biochemical Sciences Division and Analytical Chemistry Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899, USA

    Brian Lang & Michele Schantz

  5. LGC, Queens Road, Teddington, TW11 0LY, UK

    Ruth Hearn

  6. Analytical Science Division, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK

    Richard J. C. Brown & Paul J. Brewer

Authors
  1. Manuela Ulberth-Buchgraber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Monica Potalivo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andrea Held
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Annarita Baldan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Adriaan M. H. van der Veen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hugo Ent
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Valnei S. Cunha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Romeu J. Daroda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Brian Lang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Michele Schantz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Ruth Hearn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Richard J. C. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Paul J. Brewer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manuela Ulberth-Buchgraber.

Additional information

Disclaimer: Certain commercial equipment, instruments, or materials are identified in this paper to specify adequately the experimental procedure. Such identification does not imply recommendation or endorsement by any of the project partners, nor does it imply that the materials or equipment identified are necessarily the best available for the purpose.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 758 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ulberth-Buchgraber, M., Potalivo, M., Held, A. et al. The BIOREMA project—Part 2: International interlaboratory comparison for biodiesel test methods. Accred Qual Assur 18, 29–39 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-012-0947-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-012-0947-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation