At Pittcon 2008, Wilks Enterprise will feature two portable mid-IR analysers for on-site measurements including biodiesel in diesel, ethanol in gasoline, water in ethanol, gylcerides, and FFAs
The biofuels marketplace is a rapidly growing industry and so is the need for analytical measurement techniques to ensure product quality.
Product quality begins at the production facility and extends to the final burn in the engine.
At Pittcon 2008, Wilks Enterprise will feature two portable, easy-to-use mid-IR analysers for use by producers, distributors, fleet managers, or regulators for such on-site measurements as biodiesel in diesel, ethanol in gasoline, water in ethanol, total gylcerides, FFAs in feedstock and water in feedstock.
These analysers are easily operated by personnel having little or no knowledge of infrared analytical techniques.
The first is the InfraCal Filtometer.
This is a low-cost, single wavelength analyser that is ideal for measuring the blend ratio of biodiesel in diesel fuel or ethanol in gasoline.
Since tax incentives, government regulations and engine warrantees are often based on % biofuel, it is important to have an accurate measurement method.
The InfraCal Filtometer is compact and portable, yet easy for non-technical personnel to operate.
It gives a direct readout in %biodiesel or %ethanol allowing the user the capability to measure the blend ratio on-site at a manufacturing or distribution facility.
The second instrument is the InfraSpec VFA-IR spectrometer that is a spectral range analyser capable of monitoring more than one component.
It will measure the %biodiesel in diesel fuel as well as total glycerides during the biodiesel reaction process.
Using the InfraSpec spectrometer for making pass/fail determinations for total glycerides can significantly reduce analysis time and increase reactor throughput by as much as 20%.
The InfraSpec can also be used for testing free fatty acids and water in the biodiesel feedstock.
The InfraSpec VFA-IR spectrometer is compact, portable and has a simplified PC interface for non-technically trained personnel.
This provides the user with the capability to easily make on-site measurements in the processing plant, as well as in the QC laboratory.
The new 128-pixel detector/array InfraSpec spectrometer represents a new concept in mid-infrared instrumentation and is based on patented design.
It enables the operator to obtain infrared spectra on a variety of components in the biofuels manufacturing process at a fraction of the cost of an FT-IR spectrometer.
