ASTM International, a standards development and delivery systems company, has announced the standards for mixing bio-derived synthetic blending fuels with the traditional jet fuel. The new ASTM D7566 standard approved on 1st July 2011 specifies that up to 50% of bio derived blending components can be added to jet fuel.
Over 2,000 members from 66 countries, HEFA fuel producers, manufacturers of aircraft and engine, and regulatory agencies, have participated in the revision proceedings of D7566 standard.
The renewable fuel components known as hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) contain similar hydrocarbons observed in jet fuel but derived from vegetable oil comprising feed-stocks such as jatropha, camelina, algae or from animal fats known as tallow. ASTM Standards has earlier issued criteria for fuel from natural gas, coal or biomass produced utilizing Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.
The revised specification has reference to a number of other ASTM standards that measure diverse properties of fuel. The new D7566 also conform to the needs of ASTM D1655, a specification used for fixing the quality and distribution of the traditional aviation turbine fuels for a number of years thus enabling seamless integration with the present distribution set up and onto certificated aircraft as D1655 fuels.
The new D7566 specification standards for the available trace material, distillation control and thermal stability will enable the aviation community all over the world to test and verify the fuel for meeting the requirements.
Source: http://www.astmnewsroom.org/