Biodiesel Introduction

Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel produced from vegetable oils or animal fats. Biodiesel is a renewable, non-toxic, biodegradable, safe fuel made from any plant oil or animal fat that can be used in any diesel engine. It dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first compression-ignition engine specifically to run on vegetable oil.

Biodiesel contains no petroleum but can be blended in any ratio with petroleum diesel. Used in diesel engines with no major modifications. Biodiesel is registered as a fuel and fuel additive with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Biodiesel Ingredients:

  • Soybean Oil, Choice White Grease
  • Catalyst (Sodium Methylate)
  • Methanol

Reacted to Produce:

  • Methyl Esters (biodiesel)
  • Glycerin

Renewable

Biodiesel is renewable because it’s made from plants (though can also be made from animal fat). This aspect is great, because not only are plants a renewable resource, but also the process of producing biodiesel from them and burning it in our cars is carbon neutral.

Remember your photosynthesis equation? Carbon dioxide plus water and sunlight yields starch (sugar) plus oxygen. The reverse equation, using oxygen and starch (or food) and producing carbon dioxide and water is what we and other animals do. It is also what happens in the process of combustion. It turns out that the absorption of carbon dioxide by the plants that we use for biodiesel cancels out the production of carbon dioxide by burning it in our engines. This is very different from the petroleum cycle, where the stored carbon that was made millions of years ago is taken from underground and burned in engines to produce carbon dioxide in a one-way reaction. Yes, trees and other plants do soak up some of that carbon dioxide too, but they can’t keep pace with the continued burning of fossil fuels- it’s just not a sustainable pathway. Plus, the burning of petroleum products produces sulfur dioxide which reacts in the atmosphere to produce acid rain that kills the trees that absorb all that carbon!