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Biofuels Compendium
[ DISCLAIMER ]
This Web-based compendium provides underground storage tank (UST) stakeholders with information regarding storing ethanol and biodiesel fuels. The compendium includes hypertext pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. Please be aware that we do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of pointers to particular items in hypertext is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered by the author of the reference or the organization operating the server on which the reference is maintained.
Federal mandates requiring a significant increase in biofuels production and use have spurred an increase in the number of retail facilities storing and dispensing renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. These fuels have significantly different characteristics than petroleum gasoline and diesel. Thus, UST stakeholders should be aware of the technical and policy issues related to the storage of alternative fuels.
Ethanol
In this section you will find published material about ethanol and USTs. Documents in this section cover topics such as material compatibility, tank conversion, remediation, and more.
An effective fuel oxygenate, ethanol has increasingly been used as a fuel additive. The majority of ethanol-blended fuel sold is E10, a mixture of approximately 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline by volume. E85 fuel, a mixture of approximately 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline by volume, is also gaining popularity for use in flexible-fuel vehicles. Unlike other fuel components, ethanol is corrosive and highly water soluble. As a result, special precautions must be taken in order to prevent corrosion of the UST system and phase separation of fuel in the tank.
Biodiesel
In this section you will find published material about biodiesel and USTs. Documents in this section cover topics such as material compatibility, tank conversion, remediation, and more.
Produced from renewable oils, pure biodiesel is biodegradable, nontoxic, and virtually free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel can be used in its pure form, known as B100, or as a fuel additive. B20 (a blend of approximately 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel by volume) is the most common blend; however, many blenders currently sell B99. Though biodiesel can be used in the same capacity as its petroleum counterpart, it also has a significant solvent effect which will affect storage tanks that previously stored petroleum diesel. In addition, biodiesel is susceptible to corrosive oxidation and microbial contamination.
State Information
This section provides state-specific biofuels information, such as conversion forms, checklists, and state newsletters.
- Industry standards are an important part of the UST program. Please see Industry Codes And Standards For UST Systems.
- EPA will periodically update this compendium. If you would like to submit a resource for possible inclusion in this compendium, click here.
- Links To Organizations Cited In This Compendium