Microbial contamination in biodiesel storage tanks

As a result of heightened regulatory measures to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, the composition of the fuels used has changed dramatically in recent years. When these biofuels come into contact with water, microbial contamination can occur in the tank. MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION Traditionally when straight hydrocarbon fuels were used, you could have a tank that was 50 years old and never been cleaned out, and as long as that suction point – the point where the fuel leaves the tank – was above where the water and sludge was sitting, there would be no issues at all. But when biofuels were introduced in 2006 a lot of those tanks started to fail. The reason was, when these biofuels came into contact with water, they created a microbial contamination in the tank – microbes such as bacteria and fungi that live in the interface between the water and fuel cause havoc to both the performance of the tank and the fuel itself. Microbial contamination of diesel fuel occurs when water finds its way into a tank as a result of condensation, rainwater penetration or from the air. Modern biodiesel is especially hydroscopic, attracting and holding...