What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a biodegradable and non-toxic alternative fuel produced from new or used vegetable oil that is produced from renewable resources. It can be used in any Diesel engine without modification.

Pure biodiesel has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel. It also has the highest energy balance of any fuel. For every unit of fossil energy needed to produce biodiesel, more than 3 units of energy are gained. As for gasoline and diesel, every one unit put in yields only about one half unit.

Because biodiesel is made from plant oil or animal fat and not from 40,000,000 year old organic matter, it is renewable. Moreover, the carbon dioxide taken up by plants during photosynthesis helps to mitigate the carbon dioxide emitted from using biodiesel so there is no net carbon introduced to the atmosphere.

Compared to diesel fuel, biodiesel emissions are substantially better for the environment and, in turn, better for the health of the environment's inhabitants. Specifically, the emissions of particulate matter, carbon monoxide and total unburned hydrocarbons from biodiesel are each much less than those from petroleum diesel.

Commonly sulfur is added to diesel fuel to increase its lubricity. Once burned, sulfur dioxide is emitted and acid rain results. Biodiesel, however, is naturally lubricious and good for engine parts. Biodiesel contains only trace amounts of sulfur so its exhaust has considerably less sulfur dioxide.

Biodiesel is miscible in petroleum diesel. This means that the two can be mixed in any proportion and poured into the fuel tank. Common language for a biodiesel/diesel mix is "B" followed by the percent of biodiesel; so 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel is called B20. Pure biodiesel is called B100. That biodiesel is miscible in petroleum diesel is advantageous when a user has only limited biodiesel supply, is concerned about the slightly higher cost of biodiesel or needs a greater amount of petroleum diesel for cold-weather operability.

In very cold conditions, biodiesel begins to crystallize becomes thicker and may be unusable on the engine. Some take this as grounds to criticize biodiesel, but there are simple and effective ways to use biodiesel throughout the winter. One may use additives in the fuel, install any of a number of heating systems or use the biodiesel in a blend with petroleum diesel (which crystallizes at a lower temperature).

There are many operating benefits for the user. As mentioned already, biodiesel provides significantly higher lubricity for the engine. Biodiesel has been shown to reduce the need for engine maintenance. When any kind of maintenance is required for the engine, the mechanic needs no specific training because biodiesel does not require any sort of engine modification. The mechanic need not even know that the engine runs on grease. Additionally, the flash point of biodiesel is more than 300F and is safer to handle and store than any petroleum based fuels.

The cost of biodiesel varies. If vegetable oil and the production chemicals (alcohol and catalyst) are readily available then biodiesel can cost as little as 50 cents per gallon to produce. For this reason, biodiesel has great potential in the developing world. In the United States, biodiesel is available for approximately one dollar more than petroleum diesel. As the demand for biodiesel increases so will production capacity. This will bring the price down. One must be cautious when comparing the cost of alternative fuels with any petroleum fuels. The real cost of using petroleum fuels includes not only our payment upon filling up, but also our taxes for subsidizing the industry and the detriment of our health, environment and international relations. Using biodiesel decreases our dependence on foreign oil and improves our domestic economy.