Biodiesel has become a very popular alternative fuel source that is on the market today. Biodiesel is a clean burning, non-petroleum product produced by the transesterification of various renewable natural resources such as plant oil or animal fats. In the U.S., biodiesel is mainly made of soybean oil. Biodiesel is a substitute for normal petroleum products and since it contains no petroleum it can be used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines. Biodiesel can be used in its pure form, which is B100 (100 stands for 100 percent biodiesel), but it is usually blended with diesel fuel. The most common blends include B20 (20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent regular diesel) and B5 (5 percent biodiesel, 95 percent regular diesel).
Biodiesel – A New Alternative Fuel
Biodiesel is distinguished from the raw vegetable oil which is also used as fuel in special diesel vehicles. Biodiesel is more standardized and it can be used as fuel in most diesel cars. Biodiesel must be produced to strict industry specifications (ASTM D6751) in order to ensure proper performance. Also, biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully passed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.
Technology in diesel engine engineering has helped us to reach the point where the advantages of biofuel usage are much greater than the disadvantages.
- Biodiesel is renewable; if there is a need for more alternative fuel, we just grow more plants (such as soybean, corn…).
- Biodiesel is biodegradable (capable of being decomposed by e.g. bacteria).
- Biodiesel has a significantly lower noxious emission than petroleum-based diesel, when burned (Biodiesel Emission Data).
- Biodiesel brags of a zero total emissions production facility.
Although biodiesel has a number of advantages, it also has a few disadvantages:
- Currently, producing biodiesel is very expensive. According to the Department of Energy, the average nationwide price of a gallon of B100 biodiesel was $4.31 compared to regular diesel which costs $4.14 per gallon.
- Finding biodiesel can be a real pain. According to the Department of Energy, 431 fueling stations in the United States offer commercial biodiesel. According to the data, regular diesel is sold at roughly 3,000 gas stations in the state of California, while biodiesel can be purchased at only 37 sites.
- Biodiesel is more likely to attract moisture than petroleum diesel, which can cause problems in cold weather.
In conclusion, using biodiesel is your personal choice. As every fuel, biodiesel has pros and cons too. If you own a diesel vehicle and stop by a gas station that offer biodiesel, go ahead and fill up your tank. It’s worth trying it. If you live close to a biodiesel source, or you are worried about the greenhouse effect, biodiesel might be the solution.
