A key standards-setting committee on June 19 approved three long-sought specifications for biodiesel blends, capping five years of research and balloting. The National Biodiesel Board praised the action, saying it should “significantly bolster automaker support and consumer demand for biodiesel.”
ASTM International’s D02 Main Committee approved:
“The new ASTM specifications for B6 to B20 blends will aid engine manufacturers in their engine design and testing processes to optimize the performance of vehicles running on biodiesel,” says Steve Howell, chairman of the ASTM Biodiesel Task Force. “The new specifications will also help ensure that only the highest quality biodiesel blends are made available to consumers at the retail pump.”
Automakers and engine manufacturers have been requesting a finished blend specification for B20 biodiesel blends for several years. Some even cited the need for that spec as the single greatest hurdle preventing their full-scale acceptance of B20 use in their diesel vehicles, NBB says.
