On 26 and 27 June 2025, the DGMK Processing and Application Division hosted the 30th Annual Meeting of Analysts in Hamburg. Around 40 participants from Germany and abroad attended the 10 specialist presentations.
Bonjour à tous! With these words, Wolfgang Gorek opened the 30th annual meeting of DGMK analysts, which took place in typical analyst weather (warm and humid) at the Haus der Patriotischen Gesellschaft in Hamburg.
Richard Wicht (DGMK) was the first speaker to give an overview of current standardization trends, from diesel standards to hydrogen specifications. He specifically addressed the requirements for analytics.
Katharina Wulf (University of Rostock) presented results from the DGMK project 859, which deals with the compatibility of additives in diesel fuels. Coating layer thicknesses of pre-aged fuels and their changes when different additives are added were measured. The results were full of surprises, ranging from premature termination of tests to extreme cleaning effects. The subsequent discussion was so lively that the speaker's microphone was passed around the auditorium without further ado.
Robert Bank (Research Center for Internal Combustion Engines and Thermodynamics Rostock) spoke about bio-blends in maritime applications, using the example of Cashew Nutshell Liquid (CNSL) to explain the challenges that can be associated with bio-blends. Sludge formation and emulsion plugs are examples of this. Challenges also arise in the laboratory. His remark "organic doesn't always smell good" was met with laughter and a lot of understanding. Nevertheless, he concluded with the clear verdict that bio-blends have great potential for reducing CO2 in maritime shipping.
Richard Dale (Innospec Inc.) also addressed fuels in the marine sector with a particular focus on methanol and its influence on the service life of engines due to material wear. He used the HFRR test as a parameter to evaluate the lubricity of methanol, which is also used to evaluate diesel fuel and heating oil (extra-light).
Roland Steininger (Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH) presented Hyundai's powertrain strategy as the last speaker on day 1 - but with undiminished interest from the participants. While the electrification of the majority of vehicles is expected, low-carbon fuels for niche applications are currently being investigated and analyzed in the company's own laboratories. Among other things, a new test method for determining oil dilution has been developed, which provides significantly better repeatability.
At the evening dinner, discussions continued intensively and there was plenty of opportunity for networking.
Day 2 began with a presentation by Dirk Möntmann (OWI Science for Fuels), who showed how dielectric coolants change on contact with different materials, in particular the relative electrical conductivity increases significantly with immersion time and temperature.
Bianca Bethan (GBA Analytik GmbH) then reported on the challenges and approaches in the field of PFAS analysis. A large number of substances fall under this term. These are, for example, polyfluorinated carboxylic acids, sulfonic acids, sulfonamides, sulfonamide acetic acids and many more. Their use also ranges from building materials and paints to medical products and consumer articles such as household items or rain jackets. While some compounds are already banned and others are severely restricted by REACH, new compounds are constantly coming onto the market. 130 compounds are currently covered, but only some of the precursor substances. Ultimately, handling PFAS in the laboratory also requires particularly careful work, because "PFAS stick like the plague".
Michael Becker (ASG Analytik-Service AG) presented analytics for plastic pyrolysis oils. The current rate of only 0.5% chemical recycling of plastic waste could be significantly increased using pyrolysis processes. With the help of GC-VUV, the respective components of the usually very different pyrolysis oils can be classified with high accuracy into defined compound classes using the wavelength spectrum and retention index.
Metalia Irawan-Pieperhoff (OWI Science for Fuels) spoke about the interactions of e-fuels as drop-in components in heating oil (DGMK project 839). She reported on the blending effects of paraffinic and fossil fuel oil, in particular the different ageing effects and the influence of additives on ageing. Remarkable is the short test duration of max. 300h to determine the influences of different blends and additives.
The presentation by Svetlana Crusius (ERC Additiv GmbH) concluded the conference. She presented the advantages of ethanol fuels, including increasing the octane number and reducing the number of particles in end-of-pipe emissions and, of course, CO2 emissions. An E20 fleet test was successful and the interest in E20 therefore extends across various sectors. We can therefore look forward to seeing whether E20 succeeds in entering the market.
Finally, Wolfgang Gorek thanked all the speakers and the DGMK team for the excellent organization and closed the event with a reference to the next analysts' meeting, which will take place on 26 and 27 November 2026.
