IMBiH's activities in BIOFMET

IMBiH's activities within the BIOFMET project are related to the development and optimization of traceable methods for the analysis of inorganic and organic impurities on selected solid and liquid fuels, participation in CRM certification for pellets and biodiesel, and in connection with providing traceability for industrial measurements of elements present in the ash produced by burning pellets.

During the project, methods were developed for the analysis of selected elements in solid and liquid biofuels using the atomic emission spectrometry technique after microwave digestion of the samples (total digestion was applied). In this part of the activity, selected samples of solid biofuel including pellets and wood chips of different quality were treated for the composition of mainly heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cd, Mn, Al, Zn, Fe) and major elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Si). A method for the analysis of total S using the WD-XRF technique was also developed, and the EasyScan technique was applied for semi-quantitative scanning of the percentage composition of liquid and solid biofuels. GCMS method for the analysis of biodiesel main constituents was also developed and applied on selected samples.

Developed methods and analytical protocols were applied in the process of testing the homogeneity, stability, and characterization of the candidate CRM material prepared by TUBITAK UME. A budget of measurement uncertainty was also established for each individual test parameter.

Subsequent activities in the project are related to the preparation of the reference material - pulverized pellet ash - for the calibration of the industrial portable X-ray device for the analysis of the elemental composition of ash. Furthermore, IMBiH’s activities are related to the preparation of a guide for industrial users in terms of budgeting measurement uncertainty for measurements and a feasibility study on the use of developed CRMs in the industry. Together with other partners on the project, IMBiH actively participates in the dissemination of project results among interested parties, informing stakeholders from the industry and standardization on the progress achieved.

Figure 3. WDXRF and GCMS instruments