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Posted by Pinky Bean
on November 6, 2008 6:59 AM
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Filed Under: Food |
Though they could easily be mistaken for the same thing, biofuels and biodiesel are in fact different. Biofuels are made from biologically dead substances and come in the form of solid, liquid or gas. Most commonly biofuels are derived from plant sources. Biodiesel is fuel specifically designated for diesel engines and is non-petroleum based.
What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from vegetable oils. Soybean oil is used most often since it is the most commonly-produced oil in the U.S. Biodiesel is non-toxic and can be used in compression-ignition diesel engines. One bushel of soybeans yields approximately one-and-a-half gallons of biodiesel. In its pure form it is known as neat biodiesel, however it can also be combined with petroleum diesel at any level to create a biodiesel blend.
A refining process known as transesterification is used to create biofuel, and involves blending methanol, sodium hydroxide, oil, methyl esters and glycerin.
Why is it better than traditional fuel?
Biodiesel is much more clean-burning than fuel made from petroleum, eliminating harmful exhaust emissions like sulfur oxides and sulfates and significantly reducing the mount of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter in comparison to traditional diesel fuel.
Biodiesel also has continuous cleaning properties in used engines, resulting in better fuel economy. Biodiesel that is pure and not combined with anything is completely biodegradable and non-toxic. When combined with diesel fuel, the level of the blend determines how toxic and biodegradable it actually is.
Why is it better than ethanol?
Two years ago, University of Minnesota researchers found that biodiesel was a more environmentally-friendly option than ethanol, as it was able to generate 93 per cent more energy than that used for its production. Ethanol is capable of producing 25 per cent more energy. In production and and consumption, biodiesel also reduces emissions by 41 per cent compared to fossil fuel, while ethanol reduces emissions by 12 per cent.
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