Biodiesel fuel has the potential to revolutionize the motor fuel industry. For the first time, motor fuel can be manufactured from domestically produced materials, freeing dependence from foreign oil producers, and eliminating environmentally destructive drilling, super tanker transport ships, and other expensive and unsustainable practices. In addition, Biodiesel reduces pollution emissions from diesel engines up to 90%, is cleaner burning, reduces required engine maintenance, has better lubricitive properties, and best of all, the exhaust smells like french-fried potatoes. Biodiesel is easily made from waste vegetable oil, a product of fast-food and restaurant fryers which is frequently considered a disposal problem. Many individuals are able to obtain the used oil free of charge from these establishments. Imagine being able to get free motor fuel from old fryer oil!
Properly made Biodiesel can be used for fuel in any diesel engine without modifications of any kind. It can also be used to fuel domestic space heaters and furnaces at a substantial savings in expense. Blends of Biodiesel and regular petroleum diesel fuels are also possible. Blends of as little as 1-2% Biodiesel are shown to improve engine life and cleanliness, and concentrations of 20% Biodiesel have demonstrated the ability to reduce tailpipe emissions and smoke as much as 60%.
A significant reduction in the production of global carbon dioxide is possible if petroleum diesel fuel was largely replaced by the use of Biodiesel, which produces no net gain in COČ. The carbon molecules present in Biodiesel once existed as free COČ in the atmosphere before being locked up in the growing plant's cells. Burning the esters contained in Biodiesel releases these carbon molecules back to the atmosphere where they originated. Petroleum based fuels, on the other hand, release carbon that has been trapped out of circulation for millions of years. Such additional carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere is generally recognized to be the cause of global warming.
| This chart shows the relative reductions in
particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), and unburned hydrocarbons
(HC) for Biodiesel fuel, compared to petroleum diesel. There
is a small increase in nitrogen oxides (NOx) with the use of Biodiesel,
which can be partially reduced by adjusting the injection timing of the
engine. Further reductions are possible with the use of a catalytic
converter in the exhaust system of the engine.
This chart is from the EPA's Comprehensive Analysis of Biodiesel Impacts on Exhaust Emissions, the complete document of which is available as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file. |
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Biodiesel Procedure
Any form of fatty oils from vegetable or animal sources can be converted into useable fuel. These oils contain esters, which are the part that is valuable as fuel, and glycerin, which is a waste product in the fuel production, but a potentially valuable substance when used in the production of soaps, lotions, skin oils, and more. The process of separating these elements from the oil is called transesterification, and afterwards, the esters (fuel) and glycerin form stratified layers in the reaction vessel, and are simply drained off to their respective storage containers. If not utilized as a product in it's own right, the glycerin can simply be composted. Production of Biodiesel produces no pollutants. In fact Biodiesel itself is non-toxic and biodegradable. It can be handled and stored exactly like petroleum fuels.
Although the process of converting vegetable oil to fuel is not difficult, we encourage anyone who is interested to study the process thoroughly, and understand what safety precautions are necessary before attempting to use the chemicals involved.
As we mentioned on the home page, the nuts-and-bolts of making Biodiesel fuel is beyond the scope of the information that we offer here, but the following is a basic overview of the process:
Simply described, a measured volume of vegetable oil is mixed with a solution of methanol and household lye (sodium hydroxide). This mixture is then heated, stirred for an interval, and then allowed to settle. Approximately 80% of the oil volume becomes fuel, and the remainder is glycerin, fatty acids, and a lot of boogers you don't want to know too much about. Further adjustments to the pH of the fuel product, and "washing" to remove free fatty acids and excess methanol and unreacted lye are required, and are also not difficult to accomplish. The product of this process usually requires no further finishing and is useable as fuel immediately.
Several chemical processes can be used to make methyl ester (Biodiesel), depending on the materials available, the quality of the product desired, and the complexity of the process. Ethanol (grain alcohol) can be substituted for the methanol. Although the purchase price is higher, ethanol is considered to produce a superior grade of fuel. Potassium hydroxide can be used in place of sodium hydroxide, which results in the glycerin being a superior fertilizer for plants when composted. There are some processes (patented) which use a two-stage method utilizing acid (usually sulfuric acid) for the first step, and a base such as lye for the second. This process has the advantage of being "foolproof", and results in fuel that has a neutral Ph. Researchers are perfecting a continuous process that does not require batch processing. Various methods can be used to reclaim and reuse the methanol used for the reaction.
Biodiesel can also be made from virgin feedstock, and when properly produced and refined, the "waste" glycerin can be sold as food-grade, suitable for use in foods, cosmetics, soaps, and pharmaceutical purposes. Food grade glycerin is quite valuable, and can sell for many times the price of the fuel produced.
No matter the process used, Eugene Biosource advocates the production of ASTM standard grade fuels for best engine performance and longevity. Adherence to these standards will generally be accepted under the warranties of all major engine manufacturers.
