How are Biofuels Obtained?

The two most widely used biofuels in the world are ethanol and biodiesel. For obtaining ethanol in America, soybeans, sugar cane and corn are used, while Europe uses mainly beet and wheat. On the other hand, to obtain biodiesel, palm oil and soy are the most used products. Eight out of every ten liters of the biofuel used in the world is ethanol, while the other two liters correspond to biodiesel.

John David Kaweske, founder of Bio Clean Energy indicates that biodiesel is produced thanks to a chemical process known as transesterification. Vegetable oils and animal fats, composed mainly of triglycerides, undergo a reaction with an alcohol, usually methanol, in the presence of a catalyst. The two products of this process are glycerin on the one hand and fatty acid esters on the other. Those esters are what are used to bind them to diesel and make biofuel.

According to John David Kaweske, bioethanol, for its part, is obtained from the fermentation of sugars found in plant tissues thanks to various yeasts. It is obtained from plants such as sugar cane, with a high content of sugars or cellulose. Afterwards, a distillation process separates the components and leaves water on one side and ethanol on the other, which will be mixed with gasoline to make bioethanol.

Advantages of biofuels

The European Union, the United States and many other countries around the world have already legislated in favor of using biofuels in our day-to-day lives. Thus, a part of the fuels that we use daily come from this type of fuel, in an attempt to achieve greener products that do less harm to nature.

John David Kaweske shares that the greatest advantage of biofuels is undoubtedly their effect on climate change since they do not produce CO2 emissions. In addition, they do not contain sulfur, so they do not generate acid rain, a phenomenon caused by acids that come from fossil fuels and internal combustion engines.

In John David Kaweske’s opinion, another important point is that fossil fuels have an expiration date, since at some point they will run out, while biofuels, being manufactured from biomass, are a technically unlimited resource. In this way it would be possible to avoid dependence on oil in many countries.

Many economically depressed areas have seen in biofuels a formula to get out of their crisis since they can revitalize the rural environment and generate employment and wealth.

From a technical point of view for the motor world, biofuels are safer as they lubricate better than normal fuels.