Bio-diesel
Bio-diesel is a renewable fuel made by reacting hot vegetable oil (used or new) with an alcohol and lye, the only by-product being glycerin. The glycerin created in the biodiesel reaction can be used for soap, industrial lubricants, or can be composted. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine without modifications. Cars and trucks that run off of bio-diesel have the same gas mileage, same amount of power, and cleaner engines. In older cars, biodiesel can clog fuel filters as it removes crud from your tank.
Bio-diesel is biodegradable, non-toxic, and produces far less emissions than fossil fuels. The exhaust from bio-diesel is free of lead, sulfur dioxide, and halogens, containing reduced amounts of carbon monoxide and other carcinogenic compounds. Bio-diesel does not contribute to global warming because the CO2 that is released when it is burned was removed from the atmosphere when the fuel-producing plants were grown. When petroleum diesel is burned, CO2 is released that has not been in the atmosphere for millions of years, creating an over abundance of this greenhouse gas.
Most of the biodiesel available on the market today is made from virgin vegetable oil, which could be used for food. Using a valuable food resource for fuel exacerbates one problem to fix another. For this reason, we feel that biodiesel has limited potential in meeting our nation's fuel demands. To the extent that used vegetable oil is available, biodiesel provides a valuable energy alternative to petroleum fuels. At CCAT we have a bio-diesel demonstration site where we turn used vegetable oil from local restaurants into a clean-burning, renewable fuel.
Reasons for Choosing Bio-diesel
By Sean Armstrong, Edmund Koontz, and Celeste Peltier (Fall 2001)
With special thanks to Andy Cooper and Panama Bartholomy.
The Process of Making Bio-diesel
By Sean Armstrong, Edmund Koontz and Celeste Peltier (Fall 2001)
with special thanks to Andy Cooper and Panama Bartholomy.
Making Bio-diesel [PDF 22.8KB]
By Celeste Peltier (Spring 2001)
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