Beneficial Properties of Biodiesel

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel similar to conventional or ‘fossil’ diesel. Part of what makes biodiesel so appealing and interesting is that it can be made from numerous natural sources. John David Kaweske, President and founder of Bio Clean Energy, S.A., a Biodiesel manufacturer, explains that biodiesel can be produced from straight vegetable oil, animal fats, tallow and waste cooking oil. As he points out, although animal fat can be used, plant oil is the largest source of biodiesel. Namely, most manufacturers use oils from familiar crops such as soybean, rapeseed, canola, palm, cottonseed, sunflower and peanut.

The diversity of resources used to produce biodiesel has grown significantly in recent years. Furthermore, the industry demand for less expensive, reliable sources of fats and oils is stimulating new promising research on next-generation feedstocks. According to Mr. Kaweske, currently there are three basic routes to biodiesel production from oils and fats:

• ·         Base catalyzed transesterification of the oil.
• ·         Direct acid catalyzed transesterification of the oil.
• ·         Conversion of the oil to its fatty acids and then to biodiesel.

However, almost all biodiesel is produced using base catalyzed transesterification, given the fact that it is the most economical process requiring only low temperatures and pressures and producing a 98% conversion yield. John David Kaweske goes on and explains transesterification as a process in which the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil, leaving behind two products -- methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products).

Generally speaking, biodiesel is both non-toxic and renewable. Because it comes from plants and animals, the sources can be replenished through farming and recycling. That means that biodiesel has many environmentally beneficial properties. The main benefit of biodiesel, according to Bio Clean Energy founder, is that it can be described as ‘carbon neutral’. This means that the fuel produces no net output of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). When compared to petroleum diesel, biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 57 up to 86 percent, making it one of the most practical and cost-effective ways to immediately address climate change.