Biodiesel is a cleaner burning alternative fuel produced from renewable vegetable oil resources such as soy beans, palm and waste vegetable oil (cooking oil) or any other source of organic oil (animal fat). Biodiesel is suitable for modern, high performance diesel engines. Biodiesel contains no petroleum product but can be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. This type of fuel is gaining popularity not only due to its environmental advantages but also because of how easy it is to use as it can be used in current compression-ignition (diesel) engines with little or no modifications. Biodiesel is not only easy to use; it is biodegradable, non-toxic and free of sulfur and aromatics. Replacing conventional diesel with biodiesel in engines results in considerable reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. Moreover, with flash point over 260°F (127 °C), biodiesel is safer to handle and to store than petroleum based diesel fuel, which has a flashpoint of around 125°F (52°C).
Biodiesel is defined as the mono-alkyl esters of fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. In more general terms, biodiesel is the product you get when a vegetable oil or animal fat is chemically reacted with an alcohol to produce a new compound that is known as a fatty acid alkyl ester. A catalyst such as sodium or potassium hydroxide is required. Glycerol (glycerin) is produced as a byproduct. The process is known as transesterification.
Soybean oil and methanol are the most popular feedstock in the United States. Soybeans are a major U.S. crop and government subsidies/reduced taxes are available to make the fuel economically attractive to consumers who need or want to use a non-petroleum based fuel. In Europe, most biodiesel is made from rapeseed (Brassica napus) oil and methanol and it is known as rapeseed methyl esters (RME).
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