Biodiesel

Some weeks ago I went to a workshop about biodiesel. It was made by the Berkeley Biodiesel Collective. My mother (Ines-lakele) asked me to share this information with you all.

Biodiesel is a vegetable based alternative to petroleum for diesel engines. It means that you can use with normal diesel engines helping to reduce emissions. It is made from 80-90% vegetable oil and 10-20% alcohol. Running your car on Biodiesel is not the same as running it on vegetable oil. The car does not require any special modification, as long as it's a diesel vehicle.
There are different Biodiesel suppliers around the country and specially a lot in Europe. You can make your own biodiesel in your kitchen (after some safe precautions). It can be made from waste or new oil.

Here some benefits and cautions of using biodiesel, taken from the website Biofuel Oasis:

Benefits of Biodiesel

* Easy - no conversion to your vehicle and biodiesel can be splashblended with diesel at any time in your fuel tank.

* Non-Toxic - biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have completed the EPA Tier I and II health testing. The test results concluded that biodiesel is non-toxic and biodegradable, posing no threat to human health.

* NonFlammable - biodiesel will only ignite at a very high temperature (350° F). As a comparison, gasoline ignites at -43° F.

* Good for Your Engine - tests show that biodiesel is more lubricating to both your fuel injection pump and engine than diesel fuel and so may prolong your engine life.

* Renewable - biodiesel is made from 85% vegetable oil, a renewable resource.

* Cleaner Emissions - greenhouse gases, particulates, and carcinogens are greatly reduced.

* Sustainable - in a cradle to grave life cycle analysis, biodiesel comes out positively. For example, one study showed that biodiesel yields 3.2 units of fuel product energy for every 1 unit of fossil energy consumed in its life cycle. By contrast, 1.2 units of fossil resources are used to make 1 unit of diesel fuel.

Cautions of Using Biodiesel in Your Vehicle

* Paint - Over time, biodiesel may dissolve the paint on your vehicle. Wipe off immediately or wash with a little soap and water to prevent this from happening.

* Rubber Hoses and Seals - Most pre-1994 vehicles and a few later model cars may have rubber fuel lines and/or rubber seals in the fuel system. Biodiesel will gradually swell the rubber and degrade it. Check under your hood periodically and replace fuel lines and seals with a biodiesel resistant synthetic, such as viton, if they begin to degrade.

* Fuel Filter Clogging - Biodiesel is a great solvent which will clean out your entire fuel system. Your vehicle may have a lot of sludge in your fuel tank/system built up over the years from running diesel fuel. Biodiesel will dissolve the diesel residue; if there's enough, it may clog your fuel filter. The symptom of fuel filter clogging is a power loss; you put your foot on the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle responds very slowly or will only go up to 30 mph on the freeway. Keep an extra fuel filter in your vehicle, learn how to change it, and be prepared.

* Cold Weather - Biodiesel gells/crystallizes at around freezing or higher depending on what kind of oil/fats it was made from. If you try to start your car at 10° F, the biodiesel will probably be frozen in your fuel lines and will not start. Run a blend of diesel in your car or modify your vehicle to heat your fuel system if you are in a colder climate.

* Uninformed Mechanics - Mechanics who are unfamiliar with biodiesel may misdiagnose unrelated problems as being caused by biodesel and perform unnecessary fuel system purges or other expensive "repairs". We recommend locating a biodiesel-friendly mechanic in your area before you need one.