By using NIR to measure biolipid parameters, processors can make the necessary adjustments during the process to account for variations in levels of moisture and free fatty acids (FFAs)
From characterisation of oil content of soybeans and other crops, to quantification of key parameter levels in biofuel processing and quality analysis of final product, the use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is rapidly increasing throughout the growing biofuels industry.
The escalating use of NIR is directly attributable to the operational ease, combined with the non-destructive and reliable nature of the technique.
The quality of biofuels is critical to performance and market place acceptance.
Standards-setting organisations in the USA and Europe have designated metrics (US: ASTM D-6751-03 and D5798-99; Europe: CEN 14214 and prEN 15376:2006) for biofuel quality.
NIR can reliably and accurately quantify levels of many key parameters in raw fuel material, including moisture, glycerin, fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), fatty acid methyl esters (Fames).
NIR is ideally suited to the measurement of combination and overtone absorptions of C-H, O-H, and N-H, bonds, common in nearly all organic systems.
NIR is, therefore, applicable to almost all qualitative (ID) and quantitative (concentration) analyses of organic systems.
Through precision measuring of moisture prior to purification, the necessary amount of drying agent and/or the correct timing to heat the biolipid (oil or fat) to remove free water can be assessed more accurately.
Any remaining water in the process can promote the saponification reaction and inhibit the transesterification reaction.
After purification, NIR can be used to measure free fatty acid (FFA) content.
By measuring FFA, process engineers can more accurately control the amount of base (typically NaOH) required for the neutralisation of the FFA, therefore greatly increasing production quality, and eliminating unnecessary NaOH waste.
Extreme performance whatever the conditions - LabSpec and QualitySpec instruments have gone the distance to provide research laboratory quality data where ever and whenever it is needed.
Benefits of LabSpec Vis/NIR Technology:.
Flexible system configurations for portable, laboratory, and on-line analysis.
Real-time analysis for process control.
Simultaneous determination of multiple components per measurement.
No sample preparation.
Precise and accurate.
Non-destructive - no waste or pollution.
LabSpec spectrometers can provide coverage of the Visible Spectral Region spectral allowing colour analysis to also be utilised.
