Biodiesel- The fuel of the future

Biodiesel- The fuel of the future

Biodiesel- The fuel of the future

Fuel prices, both petrol and diesel have steadily (or in some years not so steadily) risen to a level that will worry most drivers, and bosses in the haulage industrustry.

Biodiesel has been touted as the fulel of the futuire - but what exactly is it ?

Biodiesel is made from high quality vegetable oils through a manufacturing process that can be done on a large scale - such as a refinery, or on a small scale - such as a home Biodiesel kit. The primary use for Biodiesel right now is as a substitute for petroleum based diesel fuel , but will this make a major impact on the cars we drive in the years to come?

In different parts of the world, different plants are used as the source for the vegetable oil that is made into Biodiesel. In Theory, any vegetable grown can be broken down and turned into Biodiesel, but right now most Biodiesel producers use one primary crop as their source. In America, the primary crop grown for Biodiesel production is corn. Corn, being one of the more common crops grown in American, provides a readily available supply of vegetable matter for Biodiesel manufacturers. In Europe, on the other hand, rapeseed is largely used in the production of Biodiesel. And, in Southeast Asia the primary plant grown for this purpose is Soybeans. After going through the manufacturing process, there is not a great deal of difference in the properties of Biodiesel made from one plant over another.

The process used to manufacture Biodiesel from pure vegetable oil is called ester interchange.Vegetable oil is combined with a small amount of Methanol. (Methanol can be manufactured by the fermentation of starch or sugar and it can also be produced from natural gas). The vegetable oil and methanol are placed in a small quantity of an alkaline catalyst and it is in this process that the chemical makeup of the vegetable oil is altered. The result is a clean burning fuel with a viscosity very near to that of that of standard diesel fuel. During this process, approximately 90% of what is manufactured is Biodiesel fuel, while the remaining 10% is in the form of the glycerine that was broken down from the vegetable matter. This glycerine can also be used in other applications in the chemical industry, making the manufacture of Biodiesel practically waste-free.

The current uses for Biodiesel are mainly limited to that of being a cleaner burning replacement for petroleum based diesel fuel. Biodiesel can be both money saving and highly efficient for most mobile applications. There will be some performance and usage differences between diesel and Biodiesel and they will vary from vehicle to vehicle as expected. It is possible for most modern diesel engines to burn standard Biodiesel.

Still in it's infanct, biodiesel seems the most likely alternative to traditional fuels.

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