Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Total Acid Number Determination of Biodiesel and Biodiesel Blends

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

The repeatability and accuracy of the total acid number (TAN) measurement for soy oil-based biodiesel–diesel blends using the ASTM D664 method was studied. ASTM D664 is the standard reference method for measuring the acid number of both biodiesel and petroleum-derived diesel, which specifies procedures for the determination of acidic components in biodiesel and diesel, and claims good repeatability and mediocre reproducibility during application, but cites no information on accuracy. However, the accuracy of this method is very important for setting the specifications for biodiesel blends, especially for B20 (a mixture composed of 20% biodiesel with 80% diesel) because of its wide commercial production. The accuracy of ASTM D664 was measured to be within 4.13% for B20 in the acid number range of 0.123–0.332 mg KOH/g. The maximum repeatability was approximately 5.21% at an acid number of 0.123 mg KOH/g. Within the ASTM D6751-07b specification for TAN (0.5 mg KOH/g), good accuracy and repeatability were also obtained. Accuracy specification and electrode operation suggestions for ASTM D664 are also given.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. ASTM (2007) Standard specification for biodiesel fuel blend stock (B100) for middle distillate fuels. Designated D 6751–07b

  2. Srivastava A, Prasad R (2000) Triglycerides-based diesel fuels. Renewable Sus Energy Rev 4:111–133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Van Gerpen JH, Hammond EG, Liangping Y, Monyem A (1997) Determining the influence of contaminants on biodiesel properties. Society of Automotive Engineers Technical Paper Series, Paper no. 971685, SAE, Warrendale

  4. ASTM (2007) Standard test method for acid number of petroleum products by potentiometric titration. Designated D 664–07

  5. Knothe G (2006) Analyzing biodiesel: standards and other methods. J Am Oil Chem Soc 83:823–833

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fuhr B, Banjac B, Blackmore T, Rahimi P (2007) Applicability of total acid number analysis to heavy oils and bitumens. Energy Fuels 21:1322–1324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hamblin P, Rapenne-Jacob I, Reyes-Gavilan J, Rohrbach P (2004) Standard test methods for TAN assessment and modifications thereof. Tribol Lubr Technol 60:40–46

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mahajan S, Konar SK, Boocock DGB (2006) Determining the acid number of biodiesel. J Am Oil Chem Soc 83:567–570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Komers K, Skopal F, Stloukal R (1997) Determination of the neutralization number for biodiesel fuel production. Fett-Lipid 99:52–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kauffman RE (1998) Rapid, portable voltammetric techniques for performing antioxidant, total acid number (TAN) and total base number (TBN) measurements. Lubr Eng 54:39–46

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Dong J, van de Voort FR, Ismail AA, Akochi-Koble E, Pinchuk D (2000) Rapid determination of the carboxylic acid contribution to the total acid number of lubricants by Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy. Lubr Eng 56:12–20

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jyonosono K, Imato T, Imazumi N, Nakanishi M, Yagi J (2001) Spectrophotometric flow-injection analysis of the total base number in lubricants by using acid-base buffers. Anal Chim Acta 438:83–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Watanabe T, Jyonosono K, Soh N, Imato T, Imazumi N, Nakanishi M, Yagi J (2003) Spectrophotometric flow-injection analysis of the total base number and the total acid number in lubricants containing both acid and base compounds. Bunseki Kagaku 52:41–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Wang SS (2002) Engine oil condition sensor: method for establishing correlation with total acid number. Sens Actuators B Chem 86:122–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Financial support from the Department of Energy (Grant DE-FG36-05GO85005) and the Michigan’s 21st Century Job Fund for this research are gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Wayne State University, 5050 Anthony Wayne Drive, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    Huali Wang, Haiying Tang, Steven O. Salley & K. Y. Simon Ng

  2. National Biofuels Energy Laboratory, NextEnergy, 461 Burroughs Street, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    John Wilson

Authors
  1. Huali Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Haiying Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Steven O. Salley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. Y. Simon Ng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Y. Simon Ng.

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, H., Tang, H., Wilson, J. et al. Total Acid Number Determination of Biodiesel and Biodiesel Blends. J Am Oil Chem Soc 85, 1083–1086 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-008-1289-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-008-1289-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation