Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

Interaction of Selected Fuels with Water: Impact on Physical Properties and Microbial Growth

E. Kathryn Brown, Mark Palmquist, Luning Prak DJ, Susan S Mueller, Loryn L Bowen, Kurt Sweely, Oscar N Ruiz and Paul C Trulove

The incorporation of renewable fuels into the current fuel infrastructure requires a greater understanding of the impact of long term storage conditions of these fuels and their blends. In certain applications, especially those pertaining to the military, there is a high likelihood of exposure to marine environments, allowing for intimate mixing of fuels with water. Incorporation of water into fuels can lead to fuel degradation and enhance microbial contamination and growth, all of which impact storage and the ultimate usability of the fuels. Through the context of equilibrium water and dissolved salt concentration, properties of an algal hydrotreated renewable diesel (HRD), petroleum diesel (F76), soy-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) biodiesel and blends of 50/50 HRD/F76 and 5/95 FAME/F76 were investigated. Samples with the greatest equilibrium water content, the biodiesel and biodiesel blend, showed the highest incorporation of salts in samples unexposed to microbial growth. HRD, F76, and HRD/F76 blend samples were exposed to microbial growth and examined for selected physical properties and metals concentration. The blended HRD/F76 showed the highest microbial growth as well as the most metals carryover (K+ and Mg2+) of the samples investigated.