What is Biodiesel Fuel?

Biodiesel fuel is a clean burning alternative fuel. Biodiesel fuel is produced from domestic, renewable resources. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, however, it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel and create a biodiesel blend. Biodiesel fuel can be used in compression ignition (diesel) engines with little or no alteration necessary to the engine or the fuel lines. Biodiesel is a simple to use, natural, biodegradable, nontoxic fuel. Biodiesel fuel is free from sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel fuel is essentially the future of alternative fuels. Copper, brass, lead, tin and zinc fuel lines should be avoided if you are using biodiesel fuels.

Biodiesel is produced from animal fat or soybean oil. Biodiesel fuel is put through a refining process called transesterification. Transesterification is a process where an alcohol reacts with the oil to remove glycerin. Glycerin is a by-product of biodiesel production. The American Society of Testing and Materials issued a standard for biodiesel fuel in the form of standard D 6751. This was in order to insure the proper performance of biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel is the only alternative fuel to have completed the health effects testing requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Biodiesel meets American Society of Testing and Materials D 6751 as well as being legally registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a legal motor fuel for sale and distribution.

Biodiesel fuel blends meet all standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. These standards include clean diesel requirements. One hundred percent biodiesel fuels meet standards set for alternative fuels by the Department of Energy and United States Department of Transportation. Biodiesel fuel burns cleaner than petroleum based products because the hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides that form ozone gasses and smog. Petroleum products leave behind these wastes after burning. The wastes are 50 percent less prevalent in the combustion of biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel also reduces carbon dioxide emissions by almost 80 percent compared to petroleum diesel. What is more, the carbon dioxide that is released is more readily recycled by plants due to the organic nature of biodiesel.

Biodiesel is defined as mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. Biodiesel fuel conforms to ASTM D 6751 specifications for use in diesel engines. Biodiesel fuel refers to the pure fuel before blending with petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel blends are denoted as B XX with XX representing the percentage of biodiesel in the blend.