How is biodiesel an improvement over petroleum-based fuels?

Biodiesel is an improvement over petroleum-based fuels for many reasons.

• Reduced Emissions:
  Biodiesel burns up to 75% more cleanly than conventional diesel fuel made from fossil fuels. What does "more cleanly" mean? For starters, sulfur dioxide emissions are eliminated (since biodiesel contains no sulfur) and the presence of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter in exhaust fumes is drastically reduced. Also, because biodiesel is made from plants that were grown in the present—not from the remains of animals that lived eons ago—it adds absolutely no COČ to the atmosphere. Finally, biodiesel emissions cause 50% less ozone to form than conventional diesel fuel.
• Safer To Transport/Store/Clean Up:
  According to the US National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel is "more biodegradable than sugar and less toxic than table salt". Also, biodiesel has an ignition temperature (or flash point) of about 300° F compared to petroleum diesel fuel which has a flash point of 125° F. This means that it's much safer to transport and easier to clean up if it spills.
• Sustainably Produced:
  According to a study by the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, biodiesel requires only 0.31 units of fossil energy to make 1 unit of fuel. "By contrast", the study said,"it takes 1.2 units of fossil resources to produce 1 unit of petroleum diesel." (from An Overview of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Life Cycles) Best of all, biodiesel can be produced from any fat or vegetable oil, including waste cooking oil.
• Extended Engine Life and Same MPG Rating:
  Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine and will yield the same miles-per-gallon (MPG) as conventional diesel fuel. But biodiesel provides superior engine lubrication; this means that using it will actually extend engine life. In fact, a German truck won an entry in the Guinness Book of Records by using biodiesel to travel more than 1.25 million km (780,000 miles) with its original engine. Finally, biodiesel can be mixed with ordinary diesel fuel in any proportion. An even a small amount of biodiesel means cleaner emissions and better engine lubrication: 1% biodiesel will increase engine lubricity by 65%.
  
  Click here to read the complete report from the National Biodiesel Board. Or, click here for more basic information from Journey to Forever (an excellent site!).

Standardization and certification of biodiesel purity is tricky since, at the moment, there are no ASTM standards for 100% biodiesel. The only standards that we are aware are for B20 blends—that is, 20% biodiesel mixed with 80% conventional diesel. We are still waiting for the 100% standards.

This said, we at BioSource, believe that biodiesel should conform to all applicable standards. Some indicators include:

• Specific Gravity: Measuring specific gravity is the simplest way to gauge the purity of biodiesel. To perform this test, we fill a graduated cylinder with about 100mL of biodiesel and float a hydrometer in it. Usable biodiesel has a specific gravity between .86 and .90.
• Ph: Biodiesel fuel should be Ph neutral. Any remaining reactants from the processing may lead to erosion or failure of the fuel injection components of the diesel engine. Excess methanol poses a risk to an rubber seals or hoses in the fuel system. Normally, these rubber components will have been replaced by synthetic products as a prelude to using Biodiesel fuel.
• Cloud Point/Gel Point: In the cloud point test, the temperature is gradually lowered until the biodiesel becomes cloudy. In the gel point test, the temperature is gradually lowered until the biodiesel becomes a gel. Both of these tests ensure that biodiesel performs optimally in cold weather conditions.
• Automobile Tests: Currently, we fuel two vehicles with the biodiesel that we produce. One is a Volkswagen Vanagon and the other is a diesel powered hybrid conversion for an electric car. In the near future, we're also hoping fuel a tractor and other pieces of heavy equipment.

(Much thanks to Journey to Forever for this very comprehensive answer.)

If you're thinking of running biodiesel in your vehicle, please keep these things in mind:

• Biodiesel isn't only cleaner burning, it's also a good cleaner. In fact, it does a great job of cleaning out the waste that conventional diesel leaves in the tank and fuel system. So when you first switch to biodiesel, check the fuel filters often and change them when needed. The first two weeks is the most critical.
• Also, you may need to retard the injection timing by 2-3 degrees in order to overcome the effect of biodiesel's higher cetane number. Your engine will lose a little of the extra power you get with biodiesel, but it also will run quieter and the fuel will burn cooler, thereby reducing NO₂ emissions.
• Finally, biodiesel may corrode any rubber parts in your vehicle's fuel system, especially if you use 100% biodiesel. Note: newer cars do not have rubber parts. And biodiesel has been used in many older motors without any problems. If necessary, check with your vehicle's manufacturer.
• Finally, if you're thinking of running your vehicle on biodiesel, please contact us before experimenting with it yourself. We want to educate people about biodiesel and to help them avoid any mistakes in using it in their vehicles.

Is biodiesel more expensive than regular diesel?

At the moment, yes. And here's the simple, non-economist explanation of why:

Although we believe that biodiesel is a superior fuel, conventional diesel has several economic advantages over it:

• Conventional oil refineries far outnumber biodiesel refineries. Everyone has seen a picture of a conventional oil refinery (although smelling one leaves a more lasting impression). But currently only a handful of such refineries exist that produce large quantities of biodiesel. (One is Pacific Northwest Biodiesel in Portland, OR; another is Pacific Biodiesel in Maui, HI.) Therefore, the scarcity of biodiesel causes its price to rise.
• A solid infrastructure exists for the distribution of conventional diesel. The easier it is to transport fuel, the less it will cost you. At the moment, biodiesel lacks this infrastructure. But, unlike conventional diesel, biodiesel can be produced anywhere from local, renewable resources; therefore, it doesn't require as large an infrastructure. In fact, one of the most exciting aspects of biodiesel is the possibility of changing or completely transforming the current infrastructure!
• Finally, the price that a gallon of conventional gasoline costs isn't its real price. If we were to include the cost of environmental reparations, military interventions to insure access to foreign petroleum sources, government subsidies for exploration and drilling, healthcare costs, etc. that burning a gallon of gas entails, it would cost much more than it does. As it is, these externalities are left out, (although someone eventually pays for them).

So, at the moment biodiesel is more expensive than conventional diesel. But the good news is that burning 100% biodiesel isn't the only option. Biodiesel can be mixed in any ratio with conventional diesel and still confer substantial environmental and mechanical benefits. But, something to think about given our present situation is: how much value does a resource gain when we can produce it without having to safeguard large portions of land several thousand miles away from our own country?
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Can I buy some fuel from Eugene BioSource?

Not at the moment. We aren't yet ready to sell fuel commercially. There are a number of legal, safety and business considerations to keep in mind. Fuel used for over-the-road transport is taxed by federal, state and local governments to provide funding for road construction and repairs. Collecting and turning in these road fuel taxes is not something we are prepared to deal with at this time.

Storing, transporting and dispensing combustible fuel carries responsibilities, inspections, licensing, and compliance with a multitude of regulations. Producing fuel, while not particularly hazardous, does present some precautions for personal safety, fire and explosion prevention, spill protection, and not least, industrial zoning for the facility. While we are working on satisfying all of these requirements, we're still a small group, and aren't quite there yet.