[Article 69 by kmyhr, 2001-08-13 | 3 Reviews | Review this
article] What is biodiesel fuel? Biodiesel is a fuel that is
made from soy beans, or waste vegetable oil(cooking oil). It can
be used in place of petroleum diesel fuel for vehicles or
heating oil for buildings. Unlike petroleum diesel, biodiesel is
a renewable resource, and it creates less pollution than
petroleum diesel. It can be used alone or in combination with
petroleum diesel, or with heating oil. Generally, no expensive
modifications to the engines are required. This makes it easier
to integrate biodiesel into current systems than other
alternative energy sources, which often require new equipment.
How is biodiesel made? Biodiesel fuel is made from oils or fats,
which are both hydrocarbons, most commonly soybean oil. These
hydrocarbons are filtered, then mixed with an alcohol, which is
usually methanol, and a catalyst (sodium or potassium
hydroxide). The major products of this reaction are the
biodiesel fuel, which is an ester, and glycerol, wh