Phliptest - Biodiesel Quality Test Kits

Product Information

Phliptest, Biodiesel Quality Test Kit

Oilybits are pleased to be the official UK distributor of Philiptest, Biodiesel Test Kits

Biodiesel should always be produced to meet the quality specifications of ASTM D-6751 and BS/EN 14214. The pHLip test was developed to give the buyer a tool to visually, quickly, and inexpensively determine quality. The Biodiesel pHLip Test is the easiest, lowest-cost, most accurate and fastest biodiesel field test available today, and is aimed at both the domestic fuel producer, for checking of his own fuel quality, and at the end user of commercially sought product, to check that he is being sold good quality fuel

Note - Price of £14.00 indicated is for 3x Test Vials (As shown in image) @ £4.60 per test, this does not include a reference vial (reference vial contains perfect biodiesel with indicator solution). We recommend customers always restock with the 10 Pack, this way reducing cost per test to £3.75.

One reference vial will last until it bio-degrades naturally.

The Biodiesel pHLip Test can accurately detect traces of biodiesel characteristics:

Catalysts
Glycerins
Soaps
Acids
Aged (oxidized) fuel

The Biodiesel pHLip Test was developed for low-cost field sampling, screening, and testing of pure biodiesel(B100/B99)

What's a pHLip Test?

To ensure the highest quality of fuel for your engines, the pHLip Test acts as a firewall against poor quality fuel. There can be two major quality issues with biodiesel:

Poor quality traced to the manufacturer. When oils and fats are converted into biodiesel, 100% conversion is impossible and some dissolved contaminants such as oxidized esters, excess catalyst, soaps or glycerines may remain. While most manufacturers clean and test their fuel to EN specifications, it is commonplace that some lots do not get properly cleaned or tested before being shipped out. In these cases, using the pHLip Test can help you find poorer quality fuel, making it an essential tool for fuel distributors

Poor quality due to handling and storage issues. When biodiesel is shipped in various tankers and stored for differing lengths of time in wildly changing climatic conditions, biodiesel that met specification at the time of production may go out of specification before its final use. Aged fuel, exposure to gasoline, rust or other incompatible materials or exposure to excess heat or cold can result in oxidized fuel or other harmful contaminants. Any of these problems can cause excessive filter clogging and even damage to the engine. In these cases, using the pHLip Test can help you find poorer quality fuel, making it an essential tool for fleets, retail and end-users

ASTM D-6751 testing requires a Gas Chromatograph (GC) to be accurate. Owning and operating a GC in every gas station or at every storage tank is not feasible, and the time needed for outside testing is impractical. Bad fuel should then be sent to a lab for real quantitative testing. The pHLip test includes a proprietary recipe that can be calibrated against a Gas Chromatograph (GC) to provide consistent test results

Instructions

Preparing to conduct a pHLip Test:

Perform the test on finished biodiesel only. Unwashed biodiesel will not pass
Perform the test only on biodiesel that is at room temperature
The test can only be performed on B100 and B99, NOT blends with Petroleum
You may need a wrench to remove the cap from the vial. A nitrogen blanket and machine tightening of the caps during production prevents oxidation of the pHLip Test ingredients
Gently flip the vial ten times, end over end, using only wrist action
The harder you shake the vial, the longer it will take to read the results. 10 gentle flips using wrist action alone provides the mixing needed to be able to read the test in 10 minutes
Wait 10 minutes after adding the biodiesel and flipping to read your result
You will get further test results 24-48 hours after performing the pHLip Test
After the test, empty the vial completely, because over time, the biodiesel in the vial will go turbid and the red will shift to yellow
Do not flip the test a second time. It most likely will not provide you with the same results after a second shake

Conducting a pHLip Test:

Use the squeeze bulb to transfer biodiesel to a pHLip Test. Fill nearly to the top, leaving an air space
Tighten the cap and flip the vial gently ten times. REMEMBER: Gently flip the vial ten times, end over end, using only wrist action
Wait 10 minutes
Observe the test results in three areas:
1. The color and clarity of the indicator solution
2. The interface between the fuel and the indicator solution
3. The clarity of the fuel

Results:

Clarity

Look for "clear and bright" fuel floating above the indicator solution with a crisp, rapid separation from the water phase below. High quality biodiesel will quickly separate from the water phase and provide you a clear, bright transparent fuel. The chemicals in the indicator solution simply enhance the visual signal of the hydrated contaminants and accelerate their precipitation onto the interface
The indicator solution should remain "cherry red" (neutral pH) and have little or no turbidity (cloudiness). Some fuels will cause mild turbidity as they approach the ASTM limit of 0.24% Total Glycerin
Most common dissolved contaminants are the monoglycerides, followed by residual di- and triglycerides remaining in the fuel from the transesterification reaction. Water washing is not effective in removing these incomplete reaction products. If a fuel is not completely reacted, it would have to be polished (by ion exchange resin filtration, for example) to remove these last traces of intermediate products
Traces of sterol glucosides in soy and other virgin vegetable oil products can also contribute to the cloudiness of the fuel layer, particularly if there are significant levels of monoglycerides present. In the pHLip Test, these molecules become hydrates and tend to nucleate to form turbidity and then will gradually settle out on the water-fuel interface as white, wispy precipitates that look like tiny clouds
Turbidity indicates dissolved contaminants are present that were invisible in the fuel. Most contaminants cause the fuel to absorb water and become cloudy
If the red indicator solution becomes turbid, you can suspect soap or other water soluble contaminants

Interface

High quality ASTM/BS EN B100 will create a "mirror finish" on the smooth interface between the fuel and indicator solution — If you see a good reflection, you have good clean fuel!
Over time, contaminants may concentrate on the interface ("lens effect")

Color

Again, the indicator solution should remain "cherry red", meaning a neutral pH.
If the indicator turns orange or yellow, this indicates acid accumulation, which means the fuel (or the feedstock used to make the fuel) is probably aged
Some fuel stabilizers, added after production, may also turn the indicator orange. It may or may not be out of spec and should be tested. Please contact our laboratory for details about this, or see below
If the indicator color turns a deeper purple, you have a hydroxide catalyst contamination – deadly to the seals, gaskets and O-rings of your engine’s fuel injection system. This is exactly how the pHLip Test was developed, as a safeguard against catalyst contamination that was destroying commercial vehicle engines
If the fuel is slightly turbid, but the indicator solution is transparent and of normal cherry color, you probably have slightly aged fuel or traces of glycerides or glycerin left from the production process

All pHLip Biodiesel Field Tests are offered only as general indicators of fuel quality. All commercial tests - even analytical tests performed according to ASTM specifications - are subject to error due to sampling techniques, unique fuel attributes, and statistical anomaly. Failed tests should be verified by detailed analytical testing. pHLip Test warranties that the test kits provided are modeled after industry best-practices and existing ASTM standards. No other warranties, either expressed or implied, are made regarding the accuracy of the tests or the quality of the fuel that is tested

Test Kit Options
Fuel Vial	A "Control" Vial containing perfect Biodiesel, to gauge your tested product against. Requires periodic replacement
3 Pack	An introductory kit, 3 Test Vials
10 Pack	Bulk Pack, 10 Test Vials
50 Pack	Bulk Pack, 50 Test Vials