Celtic Biodiesel - What is Biodiesel?

What is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is a renewable substitute fuel for the mineral diesel sold at the filling stations today. It is made from vegetable or animal fats using a refinery much akin to a brewery:
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Organic fuels are derived from plant and animal oils. Mineral fuels are derived from the fossil remains of decomposed organic matter extracted from below the surface of the earth. Everyone knows that the Global resources of mineral oils are becoming depleted, and the cost of extracting the last reserves will rapidly escalate. There is an urgent need to find other forms of energy before mineral fuel supplies run out.

It is also well known that burning of fossil fuels increases the level of carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere as it causes the carbon locked within the earth's crust to be released into the atmosphere as exhaust gases. This is the main cause of the greenhouse effect in which the overall temperature of the globe increases as it becomes enveloped within a pool of carbon dioxide. The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of global warming, a fact that is know well accepted by both politicians and scintists. All the time we burn petrol or mineral diesel we are therefore actively contributing to global disaster.

Biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester-based oxygenated fuels made from soybean oil or other vegetable oils or animal fats. The concept of using vegetable oil as a fuel dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to run on vegetable oil. Diesel demonstrated his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 using peanut oil as fuel.

Key Advantages of Biodiesel:

1. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine. It can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored.

2. Biodiesel can be used alone or mixed in any ratio with petroleum diesel fuel. The most common blend is a mix of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel, or "B20."

3. The lifecycle production and use of biodiesel produces approximately 80% less carbon dioxide emissions, and almost 100% less sulfur dioxide. Combustion of biodiesel alone provides over a 90% reduction in total unburned hydrocarbons, and a 75-90% reduction in aromatic hydrocarbons. Biodiesel further provides significant reductions in particulates and carbon monoxide than petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel provides a slight increase or decrease in nitrogen oxides depending on engine family and testing procedures. Based on Ames Mutagenicity tests, biodiesel provides a 90% reduction in cancer risks.

4. Biodiesel is 11% oxygen by weight and contains no sulfur. The use of biodiesel can extend the life of diesel engines because it is more lubricating than petroleum diesel fuel, while fuel consumption, auto ignition, power output, and engine torque are relatively unaffected by biodiesel.

5. Biodiesel is safe to handle and transport because it is as biodegradable as sugar, 10 times less toxic than table salt, and has a high flashpoint of about 300 F compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a flash point of 125 F.

6. Biodiesel can be made from domestically produced, renewable oilseed crops such as soybeans.

7. Biodiesel is a proven fuel with over 30 million successful US road miles, and over 20 years of use in Europe.

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