Accurately Determine FAME in Aviation Turbine Fuel Easily and in Full Compliance

Fatty-acid methyl ester (FAME), more widely known as biodiesel, is used as blending stock for diesel fuel in refinery applications. A top concern is that a variety of products use the same production, storage, and transport systems and can become cross-contaminated with FAME. This is a major concern for aviation turbine fuel since it can create problems with jet engine performance. Aviation turbine fuel is the most highly specified transportation fuel, but the airline industry recognized that a small amount of cross-contamination is unavoidable in a shared system. The international jet fuel specifications (e.g., DEFSTAN 91-91) limit FAME content to less than 5 mg/kg (ppm w/w). Levels above 5 mg/kg render the fuel off-specification.

A reliable and rugged means of measuring FAME content in jet fuels is required to ensure compliance to the 5 mg/kg specification. AC Analytical Controls® by PAC developed a high-end solution for the analysis of FAME traces in Jet Fuel using gas chromatography with a unique combination of deans-switching and cold trapping. The FAME in Jet analyzer is specifically designed so that it can be used for routine analysis by refineries, distribution/pipeline companies, independent labs, airline companies, military, or any other party for the measurement of FAME (biodiesel) in jet fuel. It is an excellent alternative to existing LC-, IR, GC/GC-, GC/MS-, and SPE/GC- techniques due to its:

• Lower cost
• Sensitivity
• Ease of use
• Robustness
• Accuracy

Read the full article from Petro Industry News to learn more about the analysis and its results.