An Investigation Into The Comparability Of Common Jet Engine Materials With Next Generation Biofuels

Growing concerns regarding the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels and energy independence has spurned the transportation industry into developing a more eco-friendly and sustainable way to travel. The most promising frontier in this endeavor is the development of alternative fuels that will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our current engines with little or no modifications required. The effect that one of these frontier fuels may have, camelina based biofuel, on various fuel system materials was evaluated in this report in accordance with ASTM D4054 in the form of a 50:50 mixture. The materials went through an immersion process at varying temperatures and tested under the numerous standards outlined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The results were compared to a benchmark Jet A1 fuel since the effects of this fuel on current fuel system materials is extensively known. The purpose of this research is to determine the viability of using a 50:50 biofuel mixture in current aircraft fuel systems by evaluating the physical properties after being fuel treated. The results showed that the biofuel mixture affected the non-metallic materials in varying degrees, while not affecting the metallic materials.