Biodiesel Fuel
What is "biodiesel"?Biodiesel fuel is basically a diesel fuel that is a non-petroleum-based fuel. It is made up of alkyl (methyl and ethyl) esters which are extracted from vegetable oils or animal fats by a method called "transesterification". And yes, we are talking here about the same vegetable oils and animal fats that you will find discarded by most restaurants and fast-food places. What makes this fuel unique is that it can be used alone, or blended with conventional petrodiesel (the type that's been used for years), in unmodified diesel engines. No modifications are necessary on these engines to allow you to use this fuel immediately in your diesel engine. (This is, of course, in diesel engines used in vehicles that were manufactured after 1992 - these newer vehicles use FKM in the gaskets and hoses. FKM does not break-down from the solvent properties of diesel like the older materials will). *Biodiesel fuel is not to be confused with the method of using straight vegetable oil like that which is being used as fuel in some modified or converted diesel engines - but that's an entirely different topic. It is a standard fuel made from alkyl esters and non-petrol-based fuels that are biological in origin. This gives us a long list of benefits that are derived from the use of this type of fuel.
How It Is Used
Biodiesel can be used in the B100 form (pure), or it can be blended with petroleum diesel at just about any concentration and you can use it in most diesel engines. **Again, biodiesel has solvent properties that can erode older gaskets and hoses not made with FKM (most of these have probably been replaced by now anyway on most of the older vehicles). Another somewhat short-term drawback to immediately switching to biodiesel is that it breaks down the deposited residue in the fuel lines from having used regular petroleum diesel. This can cause fuel filters to get clogged with particles (if you make an immediate transition in your engine). So, it's recommended that you change the fuel filters on the heaters and engines shortly after you make the change-over from petrodiesel to biodiesel (Once this is done, it may not ever need to be done again). What are the benefits?1.) Contributes to national security - All of the more developed countries that are currently the largest users of fossil fuels can switch to using biodiesel (which can be made domestically) and reduce their dependence on foreign oil. This will solve a myriad list of problems. 2.) Helps the national economy - Keeping money at home that is normally used for buying foreign oil reduces the trade deficit and contributes to creating more domestic jobs in the long-term. 3.) Emissions are reduced - There are very little (if any) emissions created from using biodiesel because it is almost carbon-neutral. There have been some complaints about the smell of the exhaust from burning biodiesel, as it tends to smell like french fries or popcorn. But, dealing with a smell is much better than dealing with greenhouse gases created from burning fossil fuels. 4.) Engine life is prolonged - Multiple studies have been done that prove biodiesel reduces the wear that is normally done to an engine by 50%. This is because this fuel provides "lubricity" for all internal engine parts - unlike fossil fuels or petrodiesel. 5.) Non-toxic - This type of fuel is non-toxic, in that if it happens to get into your water supply, it won't hurt you if you consume it - it is, after all, vegetable oil. Also, biodiesel is completely renewable - meaning we will never run out of it. It can even be made at home under the right conditions. This can NOT be said of fossil fuels.
Click here to see how you can actually make your own biodiesel.
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