What is biodiesel?
In short, biodiesel is a fuel that’s suitable for use in diesel engines that is not based on petroleum. Biodiesel is often made from plant sources. It’s also possible to mix biodiesel with petroleum-based diesel fuel in any ratio. Since most any engine designed to run on diesel fuel can use biodiesel, it would seem that this biofuel could displace a great deal of fuel pumped from the ground. In some cases, it is possible to run diesel engines on straight vegetable oil (often referred to as SVO or WVO), but SVO isn’t the same as biodiesel. There is a bunch of complex chemistry that goes into producing biodiesel from many different sources, and it all has to do with the ransesterification of fats and oils. Excuse me? Transester-huh? Yeah, it’s about as complicated as it sounds, but the really short version of the story is that alcohol (methanol, ethanol etc.) is used to modify the chemical makeup of the original oil.
Why use biodiesel?
We often hear of the desire to reduce the United State’s dependence on foreign oil. Biodiesel is one way to do that, and in fact the use of biodiesel in lieu of petroleum-based diesel fuel can reduce any country’s fossil fuel intake. A reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is also an oft-cited benefit to biodiesel use. Burning biodiesel does release carbon into the atmosphere, but the plants often used to create the fuel also sucked up carbon dioxide as they grew. Depending on the feedstock used to create the biodiesel, a huge reduction in greenhouse gases could be realized over petroleum-based diesel fuel. Biodiesel can also reduce the emissions of particulate matter, benzofluoranthene and benzopyrenes and can be created from waste products that may otherwise be unused.
Can I use it in my car?
That’s an excellent question, and one that is currently being worked out. Most manufacturers allow the use of B5, or biodiesel in concentrations of up to 5 percent in their current vehicles with no questions as to whether it voids the warranty. Older vehicles, especially older models from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, that are already out of warranty anyway have proven popular - and reliable - choices for higher biodiesel concentrations. On the other hand, biodiesel can degrade certain types of rubber that were common on these older vehicles, so it might be a good idea to consult a professional for advice on what work might need to be done to any car that’s going to become a bit of a fuel herbivore.
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