Analysis of Formic Acid, Acetic Acid and Propionic Acid in Biodiesel Fuel

To reduce the burden of automotive fuels on the environment, attempts are being made to use substances derived from biomass as fuel. Of these, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) from methyl esterification of vegetable oil or other oils are attracting particular interest as biodiesel fuel (BDF). In addition, there is a trend to use biodiesel fuel blended with diesel oil (BDF blended diesel oil) in normal diesel vehicles. Therefore, new items added to the test standards and the corresponding testing procedures are being investigated to ensure stable quality. The formic acid, acetic acid and propionic acid were analyzed in BDF blended diesel oil using ion chromatography.

Chromatograms of diesel oil and bdf blended diesel oil

Ion Chromatograph

Ion Chromatograph

This separation/analysis instrument is widely used for the quantitative analysis of inorganic ions. Ion chromatographs are available as suppressor types that allow ultra-high-sensitivity analysis to the ppb level and as non-suppressor types that support diverse applications.