The limited resources of fossil fuels and the negative climate impact of greenhouse gases released from their combustion, desire for alternative, renewable and CO2-neutral fuels.
Petroleum fuels can also be blended with biofuels to reduce the carbon footprint of a vehicle. One of the most common biofuels is biodiesel (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) which is produced by the triglyceride transesterification from vegetable, animal or waste oil. Due to the variety of sources of raw materials used and natural variations of the content of the individual ingredients in raw materials, the optimum performance and emissions of diesel engine operation is a particular challenge. Especially the ash building elements Na, K, Ca, Mg and P have to be analyzed during the production of FAME. Sulfur must be analyzed to control the environmental harmful emission of sulfur dioxide.
This report describes the principle methodology for the analysis of FAME by ICP-OES. It presents typical detection limits for a selection of elements as well as studies on precision, accuracy and stability.