Biodiesel is a reasonable alternative to diesel fuels as it is produced from renewable sources and has lower exhaust emissions than conventional petroleum diesel.

The paper will present and discuss results from a laboratory study performed at SINTEF, both with FAMEs (fatty acid methyl esters) and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil). The physical properties and chemical composition of five biofuels were measured: Three HVOs, one FAME or B100 (pure biodiesel), and one UCO (used cooking oil). Initial analysis showed that the HVOs were quite similar in chemistry, so only one HVO was artificially weathered to a 250°C+ residue. The maximum water uptake was measured, and dispersant effectiveness testing was performed using the low-energy IFP (Institute Français du Pétrole) test and the high energy MNS (Mackay-Nadeau-Steelman) test. The dispersibility of both B100 and HVO were good in the high energy MNS test, and B100 slightly better than HVO in the low-energy IFP test. Practical tests of polypropylene and cotton sorbent booms showed that the boom materials rapidly absorbed both HVO and B100 (>80 % retention capacity).

In our laboratory study, chemical characterization of low-energy water accommodated fraction (WAF) and acute toxicity testing using the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus was performed. A conventional marine gas oil (MGO), B100, and HVO, were tested and results from these studies indicated very low toxic effect on the tested organisms from WAFs of B100 and HVO, compared with MGO.

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