Precautions when using blends over (B20) - BioDiesel

With the increased price of petrodiesel it has been tempting to use blends higher than (B20). The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) have approved the standard of (B20) blends or lower. There has been a large amount of experience using (B20) blended fuels. (B20) has been used in vehicles that have been driven over 50,000,000 miles with no modifications or maintenance concerns. Certain precautions must be considered with using biodiesel blends above (B20) up to and including (B100).

The cold flow property of (B20) is similar to No. 2 petrodiesel. The cold flow property of biodiesel for blends above (B20) is much different than No. 2 petrodiesel. (B100) made from soy oil will gel around 32 degrees. This gelling could clog fuel filters in areas with colder temperatures.

Precautions must also be considered when using fuel blends higher than (B20) in older vehicles where petrodiesel has left deposits in fuel tanks and lines. Biodiesel can dissolve these sediments which will in turn clog the fuel filter. If it is believed that these sediments are present, cleaning of the fuel system and tank would be recommended prior to the use of fuels above (B20).

It is recommended that biodiesel blends above (B20) be used within six months of its production to maintain the stability of the fuel. Also with these higher blends, unburned fuel may pass the piston rings into the oil pan. Over time this could cause sludge in the engine oil. Oil change intervals would need to be increased.

These are only precautions; running blends above (B20) can be very successful. Precautions should be considered.

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