How the Biodiesel Converter Works
The Biodiesel Converter divides fuel mass by a density set by biodiesel blend level. The default 0.88 kg/L fits pure B100 fatty acid methyl ester (FAME).
Know the blend
B5 means 5% biodiesel and 95% petroleum diesel by volume; B100 is pure biodiesel.
Find the blend density
Read the density for your blend in the table.
Enter the mass
Type the fuel weight in kilograms.
Read the liters
Correct for temperature at about 0.0008 kg/L per °C away from 15°C.
Biodiesel Converter Formula
The biodiesel blend formula is ρBx = (1 − x) × ρdiesel + x × ρB100, with x the volume fraction of biodiesel.
- x
- Biodiesel volume fraction (0.20 for B20)
- 0.880
- B100 FAME density at 15°C, kg/L
Worked Examples
- B20: ρ = 0.8 × 0.832 + 0.2 × 0.880 = 0.8416 kg/L.
- 1,000 kg of B100: 1,000 ÷ 0.880 = 1,136.4 L.
- 1,000 kg of B7: 1,000 ÷ 0.8354 = 1,197.1 L.
Biodiesel Converter Conversion Table
B100 biodiesel at 0.880 kg/L fills 1,136 liters per tonne. The table lists 8 blend levels at 15°C.
| Blend | Density (kg/L) | Liters per 1 kg | Liters per tonne | lb per US gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B0 | 0.8320 | 1.202 | 1,202 | 6.94 |
| B5 | 0.8344 | 1.198 | 1,198 | 6.96 |
| B7 | 0.8354 | 1.197 | 1,197 | 6.97 |
| B10 | 0.8368 | 1.195 | 1,195 | 6.98 |
| B20 | 0.8416 | 1.188 | 1,188 | 7.02 |
| B30 | 0.8464 | 1.181 | 1,181 | 7.06 |
| B50 | 0.8560 | 1.168 | 1,168 | 7.14 |
| B100 | 0.8800 | 1.136 | 1,136 | 7.34 |
Blend densities use 0.832 kg/L for petroleum diesel. EN 14214 sets B100 density at 0.860–0.900 kg/L.
What is a Biodiesel Converter?
A Biodiesel Converter is a calculator that converts biodiesel and biodiesel blend weights into volume using blend density.
Biodiesel is made by transesterification: vegetable oil or animal fat reacts with methanol over a catalyst to form methyl esters and glycerin. Rapeseed, soybean, palm and used cooking oil are the main feedstocks.
Biodiesel is 5–6% denser than fossil diesel and carries about 8% less energy per liter. ASTM D6751 in the US and EN 14214 in Europe set the quality standards.
What are the Uses of a Biodiesel Converter?
There are 4 main uses of a Biodiesel Converter.
Blending terminals
Blenders compute B7 and B20 densities for metering.
Producer yields
Plants convert ester tonnage into tank liters.
Fleet compliance
Fleets report renewable fuel volume from mass deliveries.
Home brewing biodiesel
Small producers convert batch weights into fuel volume.