Biodiesel: The Fuel of the Future

Biodiesel: The Fuel of the Future

Biodiesel is considered the fuel of the future because it is clean and helps lessen global warming. Biodiesel is produced from domestic, renewable resources like animal fats and vegetable oils. It can be used alone or blended with petroleum at any level.

Compression-ignition diesel engines can use this fuel with little or no modifications at all. Scientific evidence reveals that biodiesel reduces net carbon dioxide emissions by 78 percent compared to petroleum diesel. It is also cheaper in some countries than diesel.

Most biodiesel manufacturing facilities make the fuel through a process called transesterification. Sources of the fuel contain fat. In the transesterification process, the fat is purified and reacts with alcohol through catalysts such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. The fats are then transformed into glycerol and esters.

Biodiesel is what remains after the process. Manufacturers can use the fats of animals and a number of plant oils to make the fuel. It can be derived from the plant oils of palm, sunflower, peanut, soybean or canola. Even recycled cooking grease can be made into biodiesel, though it is not the same as raw vegetable oil.

Most cars that run on diesel engines can use biodiesel. Car manufacturers have lists of cars that can run on pure biodiesel. One amazing thing about the fuel is that it acts as a solvent or cleaner. It loosens deposits that could clog the engine. Because of this, it lubricates the engine and makes it run smoother. The result is that the engine actually lasts longer because the fuel leaves few or no deposits at all.

Biodiesel is a renewable and biodegradable fuel. It helps lessen global warming because it has a closed carbon cycle. Biodiesel itself is made from carbon dioxide through photosynthesis in plants. When the carbon dioxide from the fuel is released into the atmosphere, it is easily recycled by plants, which are then later processed again into fuel.

Even with its huge advantages over petroleum diesel, biodiesel does have a few drawbacks. It has a tendency to produce more nitrogen oxide emissions than diesel, which contributes to the formation of smog. Another disadvantage is its availability. More expansion and promotion is needed. Despite these problems and some others, biodiesel is still the fuel of choice for environmentalists and people who just want to help fight global warming. With the last two decades of the 20th century being the hottest in 400 years, we may see a lot more of biodiesel soon.

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