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New distillation analyzer availableA new analyzer for biodiesel distillation testing is now available. The Grabner Minidis ADXpert distillation analyzer works for both B100 and unknown samples and requires no prior distillation knowledge before testing. The unit uses fast thermocouple temperature regulation and small sample sizes to avoid erroneous recovery readings caused by mining solvents, condensates or raffinates, according to AMETEK Petrolab, the Oklahoma-based company that produces the new analyzer.READ MORE Feed ops could help commercialize algaeConfined Animal Feeding Operations and algal biomass may have a unique link that could help move algae-to-energy developments closer to commercialization. Why? According to Thomas Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne & Company LLP, a renewable energy project developer, CAFOs offer a rich source of nutrients that can be used as a feedstock to grow algae. Most operations located in the northern climates are equipped with anaerobic digesters that use microbes to break down the organic forms of nitrogen and phosphorous into inorganic forms, Byrne said, all of which can be assimilated by various algal species.READ MORE  Co.'s link up to produce industrial biofuelHunt Global Resources Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tombstone Technologies Inc., along with its BioSolutions Division, have launched an exclusive research and development project with Vancouver, British Colombia-based tire recycling firm Carbon Green Inc. to jointly produce a diesel substitute for a variety of industrial applications. Currently, Carbon Green owns and operates a tire recycling facility in Limasol, Cyprus, that's capable of processing 8,000 metric tons (approximately 800,000 tires) of tires annually. The company said it's ready to roll out similar production facilities across North America. That's where Hunt Global Resources comes in, according to Jim Blackman, spokesman for Tombstone Technologies. According to its website, Carbon Green's goal is to bring production capacity up to more than 145,000 metric tons of tires by the end of 2014.READ MORE New algae sensor system developedA research team at Texas AgriLife Research, a division of the Texas A&M University System, is developing an optical-electronic sensor to aid in commercial-scale algae production. The system is designed to monitor algae growth in real-time, allowing for increased efficiency. According to Alex Thomasson, the AgriLife Research engineer leading the project, the sensor system essentially emits a beam of energy that interacts with an algae culture.READ MORE Researchers isolate fuel compounds from fungiResearchers at Montana State University have discovered a natural fungus that's capable of producing eucalyptol, also called cineole, a rare compound previously only known to be found in eucalyptus bark. The discovery, according to Gary Strobel, professor of plant sciences and plant pathology and lead on the project, was first made by his research assistant Angie Tomsheck after studying plant samples Strobel gathered in the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. "[Cineole] smells like a eucalyptus forest," Strobel said.READ MORE China: tax exemption for biodieselThe People's Republic of China has taken action to make biodiesel production within the country more economical. In late December China's Ministry of Finance and State Administration of Taxation announced that pure biodiesel made from waste animal fats or vegetable oils is now exempt from consumption taxes.READ MORE Harsh winter storms affect biodiesel industryThe East Coast was slammed with severe winter weather in late December. While most are familiar with the resulting travel delays, it is important to note that extreme weather events can also impact industry, including biodiesel producers. Nearly two feet of snow fell in New York over the weekend. Such significant amounts of snow can affect not only road and air travel, but also rail transport. According to Daniel Falcone, northeast wholesale manager for Ultra Green Energy Services LLC, most biodiesel entering the New York metro market is currently transported via rail.READ MORE |
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