White Flakes in BioDiesel

[lethal injection]

I looked at some B100 I have had for a month or so in plastic fuel jugs and there is White flakes that look like snow floating around. Actually after it sat awhile they all went to the bottom. Figured maybe it was starting to gel so poured some in a jar to warm up to room temp and there still there. What is it?

 

[lethal injection]

I was told that it needs to be reheated.

 

[IC Smoke]

Were they new tanks? I thought the bio was supposed to clean the fuel systems? or is that the new ULSD? Could be junk from the container?

 

[chuckwilson]

Parafine wax seperating from the fuel, warm in up it will blend in. Its getting that time of year, no more bio for mine till spring!!!!!

 

[lethal injection]

Thats what it was... . wax. Once heated went back to normal.

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

White flakes are more likely soaps formed as the result of moisture in the fuel. Low molecular weight acids begin to form as well. Adding a bit of heat to the fuel makes them dissolve, but they're still there. The best defense is to use the Bio soon after making it.

Joe

 

[MMeier]

Can that stuff be found in B5. Just noticed tonight I had whitish /gray/ flakes/ balls in my aux tanks filter. Hope it is not some algae growth or something like that, what do you guys think?

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

Doesn't sound like algae to me. Those white flakes can form in any concentration of Bio. It forms mostly when water is present... and with the way Bio likes to absorb water, that's quite often. That's one of the things that Bio does that worries manufacturers.

Joe

 

[MMeier]

So, best to use some additive (no alcohol) that absorbs/ disperses moisture, correct? Also, does that soap or whatever you want to call it eventually plug filters?

 

[DBond]

Hmmm, this sounds familar.

I recently filled up with fuel, and put in 10 gal of commercial B100 I had in 5 gal jugs from about 3 month ago. I couldn't get the jug tipped enough to empt it into my fuel tank, so I poured the last bit into a clear water bottle, and there I saw these white flakes. They didn't disolve at room temp. (It's been in the 30's outside) Well a few days later I have a loss of power, and replace my fuel filter, which was past due anyway. Bu t now about 100 miles later I have another loss of power.

I need to get this cleaned up without going through a case of fuel filters.

How do I do that, and how do I prevent this happening again?

 

[MMeier]

Well, couple of days later and about 200 gallons run through this filter and still see these "things" in there, don't seem to be plugging up filter( unlike the sand does that I find quite a bit) Have a 2300 mile trip coming up Thursday thru Saturday. If I remember I'll change out filter and try tp post some pics of these things and see what you guys think. They did seem to "grow" a bit though and at times appear to be a brown/ yellow color on top of the white. ... .

 

[lethal injection]

I got rid of all mine but here is what I found. My filter was plugged with waxy like stuff. Once it was in the open air for about 5 minutes it seemed to melt away. I know I poured 15g of the bad stuff in the tank. So I poured in 32ozs of diesel 911 and hoped that would take care of it. Well it must have cause I dropped the tank this past weekend to install my pusher pump and it was spotless. Not sure if that stuff did the trick but there was nothing in the tank.

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

If yourflakes are strictly white in color, then it is almost certainly soap, formed when moisture got into the Bio. I've never seen this plug a fuel filter. There simply is never enough of it. If your flakes have any color to them I would suspect that it is glycerine, and that can definitely plug the filter because it spreads out once it hits the filter. If you've got a lot of white flakes, you can screen the bio through an old pair of panty hose as you pour it into your tank. I run mine through a 10 micron fuel filter before it goen into my tank... immediately before it goes into my tank. It really cuts down on any particles that form between production and use.

Joe

 

[DBond]

White flakes are more likely soaps formed as the result of moisture in the fuel. Low molecular weight acids begin to form as well. Adding a bit of heat to the fuel makes them dissolve, but they're still there. The best defense is to use the Bio soon after making it.

Joe

When you say "adding heat" do you mean temperature, or the alcohol based fuel additive?

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

I mean to bring the temp of the fuel up. Sometimes the flakes will disappear when the temp rises to 90-100F, but usually you need to be in 15-20F higher than that.

Joe

 

[MMeier]

Ran a bunch of Lucas and 2 bottles of Redlines diesel fuel catalyst on yesterdays trip. Seems to have made the stuff in the filter smaller in size. Picked up a bottle of Howes diesel meaner cleaner and poured some in tank last night. Going to let it sit in there till tomorrow night if I make a run and see what happens to the strange stuff in filter, any more ideas?

 

[DBond]

I mean to bring the temp of the fuel up. Sometimes the flakes will disappear when the temp rises to 90-100F, but usually you need to be in 15-20F higher than that.

Joe

Thanks

I found my flakes disappeared around 80F, now I am seeing if the come back at 40-50F.

Is this fuel ok to run if the flakes are not visable?

 

[JoeBioDiesel]

Thanks

I found my flakes disappeared around 80F, now I am seeing if the come back at 40-50F.

Is this fuel ok to run if the flakes are not visable?

That depends on your version of "OK". If you've got white flakes, you have soap in your fuel. Purists, anal retentives, and Biodiesel proponents say "No. It adds to gum deposits. " (evidence is often easily seen at the tailpipe tip as fluffy, but sticky, soot deposits). They forget that there are impurutues and undesirables in diesel fuel too.

I don't worry about them myself, but if I have the opportunuity to filter them out before going in my tank, I do it.



Joe