Basic Information

Abstract Number: 2120-4     Author Name: Ben Perston Affiliation: PerkinElmer Ltd. Session Title: Biofuels Analysis (Half Session) Event Type: Oral Event Title: Calibration Transfer for FAME Quantification in Biodiesel Fuel Blends Presider(s): Marine, Susan S Start Time: 02:30 PM ( Slot # 4 ) Date: Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 Location: S504bc Keywords: Biofuels, Calibration, Chemometrics, FTIR

Co-Authors

Name Affiliation Aries, Rupert PerkinElmer Ltd. Harris, Nick PerkinElmer Ltd. Hilligoss, David PerkinElmer Ltd. Wooton, David L Wooton Consulting

Abstract Content

The increasing importance of biofuels in recent years has created a need for tailored analytical methods. The ASTM standard D7371 describes a method for determination of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content in biodiesel fuel blends using mid-infrared spectrometry with ATR sampling and a PLS regression model. We will present results of a validation study using soy-derived biodiesel blends with FAME content ranging from 0 to 100%. The ASTM standard recommends sampling accessories with ZnSe ATR elements; we will show that a 9-bounce diamond ATR accessory performs equally well while having significant advantages in terms of durability and ease of cleaning. Model development and validation is a time-consuming activity and, where multiple instruments are to be deployed, it is desirable to re-use a single model. We will describe a calibration transfer approach consisting of a proprietary algorithm to standardize the wavenumber scale and instrument lineshape for each instrument independently against a traceable standard, and a simple linear correction for the variation in sensitivity between ATR accessories. We will demonstrate the effectiveness of the calibration transfer within this application by validating the performance of a set of seven instruments using a single model developed on a separate spectrometer.